to pieces or driven into the river. The army then advanced to attack the
great mass of the enemy in their position on the mountain. It was a
very advantageous one. The mountain runs nearly at right angles with the
river, which it nearly reaches, leaving between itself and the river a
tract of ground about a quarter of a mile in width, which at the time
was covered with plantations of durra. The enemy were posted on the
side of this mountain and among the durra in the open ground between the
mountain and the river; so that their rear was secured by the mountain,
and their right covered by a strong castle at the foot of its extremity
lying off from the river. Malek Shouus, Malek Zibarra, and the other
chiefs of Shageia, and their immediate followers, composed the cavalry
of the enemy. They had assembled, either by force or persuasion, all
the peasantry subject to their dominion, the whole forming a mass
which blackened the whole side of the mountain. Their arms consisted
of lances, shields and long broad swords double-edged. These wretched
peasants, who were all on foot, their masters posted in front in order
to receive and exhaust the fire of the Pasha's troops; while Shouus and
the cavalry occupied the rear in order to keep the peasants to their
posts, and to have the start of the Pasha's cavalry in case they
should find it necessary to take to flight. The Pasha posted his troops
parallel to the enemy, placing the greater part of the cavalry opposite
the open ground between the mountain and the river, and pushing the
artillery a little in advance. The enemy with loud cries and uplifted
lances rushed forward. Some of the peasants in advance of the others,
with no other arms than lances and shields, threw themselves upon the
cannon and were blown to pieces.[22] The castle on the right of the
enemy was stormed. After feeling the effects of a few rounds from the
artillery, which dashed horse and man to pieces, the cavalry of the
enemy fled in dismay, leaving their infantry to be rode over and shot
down [23] by our cavalry, who destroyed many hundreds of them in the