'History of the imâms and seyyids of 'Omân by Salîl-ibn-Razîk, from A.D. 661-1856; translated from the original Arabic, and edited with notes, appendices, and an introduction, continuing the history down to 1870, by George Percy Badger, F.R.G.S., late chaplain in the Presidency of Bombay.' [‎341] (502/612)

sa'id-bin-sultan.
341
yali ho was told by the people that Nasir and his followers
had passed by them at a gallop, without stopping to inform
them of what had occurred between the Seyyid and Muham-
mad-bin-'Aly. On reaching Maskat, the Seyyid Said sent
the English who had accompanied him from Jaalan to join
their companions on board the ships, to whom they related
what had befallen them. Thereupon they all started for
Bombay.
When they reported all that had transpired to him whom
their King had invested with supreme power there, he forth
with ordered many ships to be prepared, sent many foot
soldiers and cavalry on board, with abundance of war mate
rial, and appointed a chief over the whole, with detailed in
structions, and also special injunctions to the other officers
of their King's service. The Seyyid Said was written to
and requested to meet them at Sur, which he did, on their
was done; but immediately after, on the enemy being within twenty
yards of the line, they are alleged by the commanding oflicer to have
turned about, and to have thrown themselves on the Imaum's troops in
the rear. These soon gave way, and the whole took to flight; being
pursued by the enemy in the direction of the entrenched camp at lieni
15oo llussain, within which the remnants of the force were collected.
Nearly the whole of the British detachment actually engaged in the
action was cut up, together with all their officers, with the exception of
two, one of whom afterwards died of his wounds. The Imaum was
shot through the hand in endeavouring to save an artilleryman, and
seems to have displayed great courage and coolness throughout the
affair. An attack of the enemy during the night upon the position at
Beni Boo llussain was repulsed, but the commanding officer, finding it
could not be maintained, directed the remainder of the detachment to
retreat upon Maskat, where they arrived on the 17th of November,
1820." Bombay Qovernmeni Selections, No. xxiv. pp. 189-90.
It is noteworthy that on this occasion Battal -el-Mutairy, the Wah-
haby commander, fought on the side of the Seyyid Sa'id. The proba
bility is that he was now acting on his own account, for at this period
the power of the Wahhabis had been crushed by Ibrahim Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , who
the year before had reduced ed-Dir'iyyah, their capital, to ruins, and had
taken their Amir, 'Abdallah-bin Su'iid, prisoner to Egypt, from whence
he was sent to Constantinople, where he was beheaded.