“The Sultan’s firman, and not I, has given the command of the Turkish troops to Sir Charles Smith.

“I have not taken away the marines from your right. It is contrary to my instructions to send them far up the country, and they have been kept in the steam boats according to the intended plan until they were wanted to secure Beyrout. I cannot, therefore, send you any marines; and as Sir Charles Smith is now commanding the troops, I have only to repeat his orders that you will fall back on D’Jounie, or come down to where the steamers are, and where they were always intended to be, for embarkation.

“You will of course apprize the Emir of your intended retreat from your present position, and not expose him to risk of being singly attacked.

“I think the Cambridge is in sight.

I had sent to Admiral Bandeira to request he would send up his rocketeers; but this the Commander-in-Chief would not permit.

I had no idea the Emir could possibly be up, or Omar Bey be able to form a junction with him, before sunset, and I calculated to attack at dawn of day on the 11th; but we had hardly finished a scanty repast, which the kindness of Captain Henderson, of the Gorgon, furnished us with, when a firing was heard in the direction we expected the Emir to advance; and shortly after, my trusty interpreter Misk rushed into the room with the welcome news that the Emir had arrived. This intelligence set all orders that had arrived, or that might arrive, at nought. The drums beat merrily to arms, the troops were put in motion, we mounted our steeds, and in a few minutes were at the advanced posts. The battalion that had been sent across the ravine to turn the enemy’s left, notwithstanding the delay, had made considerable progress as yet unopposed; and the two battalions that were ordered up from the lines, much against the wish of Izzet Pacha, were advancing rapidly on Ornagacuan.

The enemy’s position was very strong, and perhaps might have been considered unassailable. I knew little of the troops I commanded; many of them were Albanians; and both parties had been endeavouring to persuade each other to come over. Our friends advised them to bring over Ibrahim, (who the day before I had seen sitting under a green flag in the second position, and saluted him); and the enemy, on the other hand, recommended that the old Commodore should be brought over to them. All this was distinctly heard at the out-posts.

I was strongly posted on a narrow range of hills, both flanks well protected; in front of my position there was a considerable descent, at the bottom of which a narrow road led round the foot of another hill to the summit, which the enemy occupied in force; their first position was commanded by a second, still higher, and that again by a third.

It was rather a new occurrence for a British Commodore to be on the top of Mount Lebanon commanding a Turkish army, and preparing to fight a battle that would decide the fate of Syria; but the very novelty was exciting to a degree. I was in my glory; standing on an eminence, surrounded by the general officers and my own staff, I fancied myself a great “Commander,” and surveying the enemy, who had not quite so brilliant an appearance as the Scottish host, although I could not exclaim with Marmion,

yet I said to my friend Hodges:—“If we can get the Turks and mountaineers to mount that rugged hill, and Omar Bey attacks at the same time their rear, Ibrahim will get such a dressing as he never had before.”

The troops being now assembled just out of musket-shot, two small field-pieces opened their fire, and pitched their shot into the position where the Albanians were posted; the armed peasantry were directed to throw themselves among the rocks and work their way to the heights, and two Turkish battalions and the Arab battalion were in readiness, under cover of their fire, to advance along the winding road. The peasantry were rather shy, and required a good deal of coaxing, and occasionally a little manual persuasion, to get them forward, but, knowing the country, they took a long circuit on the enemy’s left, and advanced unseen to the heights without firing a shot; a Turkish battalion was now sent forward en tirailleur, and advanced with caution, but great gallantry, under a heavy fire, and they unexpectedly found much good cover under the rocks; a second battalion, headed by General Jochmus, was directed to advance along the road in column, but they broke into skirmishing parties; the Arab battalion was then brought up, but there was no keeping them together; they also broke into skirmishers, and the whole advanced with so much rapidity, (with the exception of some few, who I was obliged to stir up with my stick,) that I thought it best to keep my last battalion in reserve to cover their retreat in the event of disaster.

This was an anxious moment, for our success depended on the steadiness of the Turks when they came in contact with the enemy on the top of the hill, but it was soon over; the moment the hill was crowned the Turks ran in upon the Egyptians, the firing ceased, and the latter laid down their arms.

The reserve was now brought up, and the battalion which had crossed the gorge was making great progress on the enemy’s left.

The Egyptians kept up a heavy fire from their second position, and it was with some difficulty I succeeded in persuading the troops to renew the attack; but the example of Selim Pacha, General Jochmus, Lieutenants Bradley and Duncan, Mr. Pearn, Captain LouÉ, and the other Turkish officers, who all behaved well, encouraged them to storm the second position, which was carried in less than half an hour. It now became a complete rout, the enemy dispersed in all directions, leaving their baggage, ammunition, and provisions behind. Night put an end to the pursuit. Ibrahim, who commanded, escaped with a few men, leaving between 600 and 700 prisoners behind.

Our Arab battalion, seeing a Turkish force advancing, took them for the enemy, and lined a wall that had been thrown up to resist Omar Bey; he on the other hand, took them for Ibrahim’s troops, and seeing myself and several officers with them, thought we were prisoners. A sharp fire was now opened on both sides, and it was with some difficulty I put an end to the conflict, which might have been attended with serious consequences.

A green flag was taken, which General Jochmus informed me afterwards was lost, but I am disposed to think it had been improperly concealed by some one instead of being brought to head-quarters. Our loss was not more than 50 killed and wounded, that of the enemy was never ascertained; their force was from 3000 to 4000 men. The greatest praise is due to Omar Bey, who marched the moment he got his orders on Argentoun, descended unseen into the gorge of Dog River by a narrow and rugged path, where he would have been annihilated had he been discovered, and although he got no intelligence of the Prince, pushed on and commenced his attack.

We now re-assembled the troops, which was no easy matter, and returned to Ornagacuan ready to face Souliman in the morning, leaving Omar Bey with his two battalions in possession of the field of battle.

The Turks after any success are fond of discharging their arms, caring very little whether they load with ball or blank, and I verily believe I run more risk of being shot as I returned to my quarters by the Turks than I did in the attack on Ibrahim’s position.

On my arrival on the coast I found the following orders from the Admiral: