FIGHT WITH THE ARABS IN ADEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 603, 14 August 1858, Page 5

FIGHT WITH THE ARABS IN ADEN.

The 'Bombay Telegraph' of 30.1 i March, gives the following account of an engagement which the British had with the Arabs of Aden:

"Aclun, -March 21, 1858.—We have had a brush with the Arabs. I Kiippo.se that you are aware that we here depend for our supplies in n great measure upon the interior, and that the Sultan or Lahedj, our next door neighbour, has been receiving a handsome stipend from our government to keep the rends open between his territory and ourselves. Perhaps you are not aware that he lias on several-occasions forgotten his engagement, and has connived at the stoppage of these supplies, thereby causing great inconvenience and distress in the station. On these occasions a sharp rebuke or a slight throat was generally sufficient to bring him bade to his senses. But lately, all through the ti'.no the disturbances were raging in India, and especially after our Brigadier, with a public spirit rarely equalled, placed the wing of H.M. 86{.h, which formed a portion of this garrison, at the disposal of the Bombay Government, thereby emulating the noble example set by Lord JSlphinstone when, preferring the interests of the empire, to those, however urgent, of thrPresidency, he sent round H.M. 61th, and H.M. 78th to Calcutta—ever since this public-spirited act of our Brigadier, have the Sultan and his retainer's assumed a most over-bearing attitude, and have lately crowned their insolence by stopping up the roads and cutting off our supplies. They knew the garrison was weaker now than it ever had beesi since the occupation, and they fancied they might do any thing now with impunity. They were remonstrated with in vain. The enclosed from an ej'e-witness, contains an account of the lesson they were consequently treated to.

" We have had a fight here the other day j with a hostile tribe of Arabs on the mainland. They stopped "the supplies from coming into Aden, and the Brigadier resolved to go out and j attack them; accordingly, at 3 a.m., on the j morning of the ICth he marched out with 700 j men, European and native, and two nim: j pounder guns. The Arabs were determined to show fight, and in fact fired the first shot. Our fellows, however, drove them back to a fort, j which they had, where • they made a stand for some time; but. a breach having been nia'dtt by the gun's, the infantry carried the-place by".assault; alter which, the/ blew it up, as also another fort, both on the road to Lahefij, which thej' took afterwards as w<jll as burningdown the whole place with the exception of v. mosque, which they left /uninjured. This brought- the fellows to their senses, and they sent in a flag of truce, which-was sent back, and the fighting went on. They then sent another flag of truce, accompanied by the chief of the "tribe, whom the Brigadier consented to see— when a treaty was concluded of the Brigadier's own framing, and so' the affair ended. The loss of the Arabs is said'to be about sixty killed and a great number wounded. jSTofc"one single man on our side was even touched, although the Arabs kept up a heavy fire. I have since heard that one camel and a bheascy nag were wounded."