"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الجزء II. ج. ج. لوريمر. ١٩١٥" [‎١‎٦‎٩‎٩] (١٢٦٢/٢١٦)

1699
The steamers anchored for the first night at Kut-al-^Abid, where
1 ^' traces of the passage of the enemy were found on the right bank of the
[{ r - ver> gab "'eh was reached early the next afternoon, and Isma^ili on the
evening 1 of the 30 th March. At Sab''eh signs were discovered of a recent
Ai p er sian bivouac, together with the wheel marks of five guns and of a
^ ^ small carriage. There were also several freshly made graves, and it was
afterwards ascertained that Sartip A gha Jan Khan, mortally wounded
^ k at Muhammareh, had been buried there. At Isma^ili communication
with the people of the country was opened, and from them it was learned
lb, a ti that the Persian army in retreat had passed on the previous day, towing
Persia one gun, of which the carriage was broken, in a boat on the river; here
ie im also new graves were discovered. An early start was made on the
iofastii: morning of the 31st and in the afternoon the force reached Kut-al-
it. Aw 'Amaireh, where positive information was obtained of the arrival of the
untedtn Persian army at Ahwaz on the day preceding. The hour was then
reknei to 0 late to admit of a nearer approach being made with safety to the
upieibi enemy ; s position ; but at 3 a. m . on the 1st April the flotilla got under
,nd seci wa y pressed on towards Ahwaz with the utmost despatch.
Cavalry patrols of the enemy were descried bef ore long, but they did
not approach very near. At length the main body of the Persian army
came in view, crowning [the ridge which forms a continuation, to the
whofon west of the river, of the Ahwaz hills on its eastern side. A boat was
far read captured under the^left bank and was found to contain the disabled gun,
KamiIi a handsome 12-pounder, which was at once hoisted on board the
Cod "Comet.-"
)lacej an! _
Meanwhile information was received according to which the village
) enemj ■ 0 _ . 4:3
(( ^ oi Ahwaz was very weakly held by the enemy, while the Persian army
Planet" on ^ e 0 PP 0S i^ e bank had no means of crossing the river to reinforce it;
24 p,. an ^ P^sently it was decided to attempt a coup de main. Two gunboats
j were sent up the river in advance, to distract the attention of the
inicrs |t) #
de^s ^ ^ ers ^ ans ^7 bombarding their principal position from the shelter of an island
i mrne diately below the Ahwaz rapids; and between 10 and 11 a.m ., the
■ W ^ e ^ infantry were landed on the left bank about three quarters of
• the cf a ^ 0W S un ^ oa ^ s * The troops having been formed by Captain
111 Hunt in such a manner as to give them, in the then bush-grown country,
the appearance of a large force, closed upon the village of Ahwaz from
jture of ^ 1 ^ S ^ an ^ war d side and occupied it without resistance a little before noon.
jyCap^ ^ eanw kil e Acting Commodore Eennie, with the Comet,^ had taken
a position in the river from which he could both support the gunboats
117 4