'Precis Containing Information in regard to the First Connection of the Hon'ble East India Company with Turkish Arabia, as far as the Same Can Be Traced from the Records of the Bombay Government, together with the Names of the Several British Residents and Political Agents Who Have Been Stationed at Bagdad [Baghdad] and Bussorah [Basra] between A.D. 1646 and 1846, accompanied by Other Information' [‎102v] (208/226)

' xxxvi
pledged guardians, and which they had already conducted to the close
vicinity of the place, they threatened, unless he consented to admit them
as residents within its walls, to plunder and carry off the kafilah A train of travellers; a caravan; or any large party of travellers. . The
Pacha, unable to protect it, consented; they were established in the
western half of the city, and have ever since that time become its absolute
masters, admitting there only such persons as they pleased, and protest
ing against the arm of Government or the operation of the law; all
vagabonds and evil-doers sought refuge there, in so much that no person
of respectability would any longer live in that quarter.
The Pacha exasperated at this defiance of his authority within his
own capital, resolved to embrace the first opportunity for turning out the
Agail, and the plunder of some of his own officers in the close vicinity of
the city which was traced to these Arabs.
His Highness, to an extraordinary effort of decision, ordered the
whole of them at once to quit the place peaceably on pain of being
expelled by force; with this command Agail Chief refused to comply
unless he should receive from the Pacha a pledge of security from attack
on the part of His Highness or his allies after leaving the gates.
This pledge it appears did not suit the views of the Pacha to grant.
He had previously sent for the Sheikh of the Zobude, another tribe of
lower Mesopotamia, to come to his assistance, and for another person,
named Saleymaun Ghaunam, who is an enemy of the Agails, and who has
collected some followers of various tribes around him.
The Agail Sheikh alarmed at the Pacha^s refusal went himself to
the serai to remonstrate; a report spread that he had been put to death,
his tribe flew to arms, cut the bridge of boats that unites the two
of the town and dividing into two parties the one commenced a fire
against the eastern half of the city, while the other rushed out to seize
the guns of the Pacha's troops, who were encamped without tbe walls.
The Pacha no doubt alarmed at the firing and uproar gave the Sheikh a
dress and dismissed him to quiet his tribe, but at the same time by a
boat sent private orders to the Kahayah (who commanded the troops).
His messenger found the Kahayah already engaged; the Arabs had
made so sudden a charge that one of the guns was in their possession
before the troops knew that they were enemies. They then flew to
oppose them, fired the remaining cannon at the Arabs, drove them back
and recovered the lost gun.
A regular engagement now took place, in the course of which
the Arabs retreated towards the town, followed by the Nizam and
Albanians, who entered it with them pell mell by the Hillah gate :
within this there is an open space where the contest was main
tained for several hours, the Arabs taking post behind walls and in the
houses around, while the troops fired at them with cannon and musketry.
The issue was doubtful till a fresh supply of troops and ammunition
pushed across the river in a boat gave fresh spirit to their comrades and
the Arabs forced to retreat. At that critical time a body of Albanians,
who had been firing across the river at the Arabs that still showed
face against the city, made a rush along the broken bridge keeping up a
hot fire, and continuing to reunite the two parts pushed across. The