The National Register.
London, England, 1821-05-20 00:00:00

.LJ

t./

156

SUPPLEMENTARY GAZETTE.
Extract of a letter from Captain T. P. Thompson. of the 17th
Light Dragoon*. to Frerici, Warden. Gen. Chief Secret:try to
the govenimont of Bombay, dated Muscat, the 18ili of No-
vember. IWO.
Slll,-1 have to communicate the ill-success of
the attempt to co-operate with his highness the Is-
mann' of Muscat against the Arabs of the tribe of
Ben 801 l Ali, after appearances which led to expect
a difihrent result. In my last letter I stated that
the messenger sent with the communications di-
rected by your letter of the Bth of June, 1820, had
14-en cut to pieces, and that six companies of sepoys,
w h ciola pieces of artillery, lied, in consequence,
been conveyed to Muscat. The detachment sailed
from NI tiscat on the 22d of October, and arrived at
Sam on the 24th, where it was disembarked. The
.lumum's force had previously proceeded towards Soor
by land. His Highnes the Imaum, who had di-
rected his force towards Stew, for the purpose of
marching against the principul residence of the tribe
--in conjunction with the British detachment, at-
rived there on the 26th, bringing with him 1,000
fighting men, besides men to draw the guns, 600
camels for the use of the detachment, and 300 other
cattle. On the Ist of November the whole force
marched from Sour. carrying with it two 6-pounders,
two howitzers, and two iron 18-pounders, and on
the 8:11 of November, arrived at a town belonging
to his Highness, named Ballad Beni Bon flussan,
within three miles of Bahad 13eni Bon Ali, the resi-
dence of the hostile tribe, without any loss, either
by sickness or accident. A summons was the same
evening conveyed to the enemy from his High-
ness, demanding the surrender of the persons who
hail killed the Sheik of Rusal Held, and of the for.
tifiestions of the tribe, with their arms. The mes-
senger returned on the same eight, and brought for
answer from the hostile Sheiks, that the first mes-
senger had been killed without any orders from
themselves, and that they were ready to give up the
persons concerned; that they had no desire to be at
war with the British ; that they were willing to
surrender their fortifications; but that they could
not surrender their arms, because tke !mount would
in that case, give them up as prisoners to the Bri-
tish. Under these circumstances, I felt consider-
able expectation that the terms I had demanded
would be finally complied with. At the same time
it appeared that the way to promote this effect
would not be by exhibiting any thing like an anxiety
to come to terms. On his highness, therefore,
asking my opinion, I thought it would be best to
proceed without delay before the place; with which
he entirely coincided, anti directions were issued on
the following morning. The Imaum left a portion
of his troops in his camp in the plain on the outside
of the entrenched position of the British. The four
light gulls were manned with all the Arabs who had
drawn the six, who also carried their arms. The
linaum's force had accumulated on the road ; and
the number which marched that mooning has been
stated by his highness at 2.000. The number of
seal ovs amounte%l to 320, exclusive of the old 1d...
quct of GO men, which was ordered to follow the
stores for present use, and to bring up the rear.—
The number of the enemy, from repeated and varied
inquiries, amounted to 900, and there were said to
be eight guns of small caliber in the place. The
artillery were directed to have their limbers com-
pleted with ammunition ; and I made a point of
ascertaining by personal inquiry, that a proportion
of case shot for the howitzers, and of spherical case
fin. the six-pounders, made part of the stores con-
veyed from Snor, and were actually present in
the limbers. On leaving Beni Bun Hassan, the
light company of the Ist battalion of the 2d regi-
ment was directed to take the lead in extended
order. In the event of meeting an enemy, it was
directed to retire as most convenient, and to form
behind the line in reserve. The new piquet of 60
men preceded the head of the column by a short
distance, and was directed to support the light com-
pany if required. Two guns were at the head of
the column, after the piquet, and two foilowed.—
After proceeding about a mile and a half, the
column charged the jungle, and entered on an
open country—with u view to strengthen the
line, the piquet in advance was directed to fall
in upon the head of the column, and act as a com-
pany under the command of its officer. A short
time after some shots from the light infantry an.
'utested a movement among the enemy, and the
light int.:miry were seen retirit, as had been di-
rected. The enemy soon appeared in motion on the
top of the ridge, and froai the direction which he
took, it was evident that his design was to turn the
right by moving on a point beyond it. I imme-
diately directed the troops to form columns of sections
to the right, and pusses quickly as possible behind
the guns, the head of the column inclining towards
the former rear, so as to muku the new front parallel
to the enemy's attack, form line, charge bayonets,
and Advance. The last movement was unhappily
not executed by the troops. Seeing them hesitate,
as no time was to be lost, I ordered them to fire ;