452 A HISTORY OF PERSIA. was the same ; and the Persian Minister probably cared little what became of a commanding officer who could not afford to purchase exemption from a beating. If any one more than another deserved disgrace and punishment for this disaster to the Persian arms at Mohamra, it was the Prince Khanlar, who had been entrusted with the command of the army of Khuzistan, and who fled on the landing of the British troops, without even waiting to be defeated. But his Eoyal Highness could afford to pay for the exhibition of pusillanimity, and the sum of eight thousand pounds sterling produced upon the Sedr-Azern such an impression, that instead of reproaches and disgrace, Prince Khanlar received from the Shah a sword and a dress of honour ! The Persian army retreated from Mohamra to the town of Ahwaz, which is distant by about a hundred miles from the mouth of the Karoon river. Sir James Outram determined to send a small force by water to this place, for the purpose of observing the position of the enemy and of destroying, if possible, the stores said to have been collected there. On the 29th of March a flotilla, consisting of three small river steamers and three gun-boats, was despatched up the Karoon under the command of Captain Eennie. On board the vessels were three hundred soldiers of the 64th and 78th regiments, under the orders of Captain Hunt of the 78th Highlanders ; and Captain Kemball, the English Political Agent in Turkish Arabia, was directed to accompany the expedition in his civil capacity. The town of Ahwaz, which is said to occupy the site of the ancient Aginis, was found to be in ruins, and not to be surrounded by defences of any kind, beyond a portion
