'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎370] (389/622)

370
HISTOEY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
to bring a gun to bear on them, and, as often, the steady and
accurate fire of the gunboats compelled him to relinquish the
attempt.*
" On our approach to the town, a number of the inhabitants
came out to meet us, with proffers of entire submission and
devotion to the British Government. They conducted us to
the different stores of grain and flour, and further delivered up
to us two hundred and thirty sheep, some fifty mules, and one
hundred and fifty new stand of arms in cases, and having the
Tower mark. The sheep, arms, and mules, Captain Kennie
caused to be shipped on board of the steamers, but the grain I
distributed among the people and outside Arabs.
64 Situated as they were in a position remarkably strong by
nature, the precipitate retreat of the Persian Army before a
mere handful of British troops, can only be explained by the
panic inspired by the defeat at Mohamra, by their inability,
from the want of boats, to effect the passage of the river, by
the bold front assumed by the Expedition, and, finally, by the
fact, which would have weighed probably with better troops
than themselves ignorant of our deficiency in field guns, that
the occupation of Ahwaz enabled us to turn their flank, and
thus effectually to rake their position. The advantages accru
ing to us cannot, 1 think, be overrated. Already had they
commenced to entrench themselves, and had made arrange
ments for the arrival of reinforcements, and for the supply of
stores and provisions from Shuster and Dizful; as it is, the
loss of their grain at Ahwaz, which in the interim would have
maintained the Army for fifteen or twenty days, will not only
occasion much loss and suffering on their retreat, but, by driv
ing them to a distance, will destroy their political status in the
country, and, for the present at least, deprive them of any con
trol over the inhabitants."
The Expedition remained at Ahwazf on the 2nd and 3rd of
* Captain Hunt, in his little work, especially refers, in terms of admiration,
to the coolness and accuracy of fire of Mr. GL B. Hewett, a yery gallant young
officer.
f Special interest attaches to this expedition in the ancient province of Susiana,
as being the scene of Alexander's march on his return from India. Sir Henry
Eawlinson, in his " Memoir of a March from Zohab to Khusistan," (Vol. IX. of
the Journal of the Eoyal Geographical Society), in order to reconcile the con
flicting statements of the ancient geographers, has assumed that the Karoon is the
E ulceus ; the river of Dizful, the Coprates ; the Kirkhah, the Choaspes ; and the
united arms of the Karoon and Dizful rivers, the Pasitigris. The continual
changes which have occurred in the course of the various rivers of Khuzistan,
render it a well-nigh impossible task to identify these streams from the accounts
given by Q.uintus Curtius and other historians of Alexander, of the entrance 01
Nearchus into Susiana, and Dr. Vincent is at fault when he attempts to identity
them with Arrian's account. Mr. A. H. Layard, in his " Description of the
Province of Khuzistan," (Vol. XVI., Journal of the Royal G-eographical Society),
enters into a learned dissertation on this point, and assumes with Professor Long
(Vol XII. of the Journal of the Royal Greographical Society), " that the Shapur is