454 A HISTORY OP PERSIA. Persians had on the previous day abandoned ; and on the forenoon of the 1st of April the troops landed on the right bank ; * they advanced in skirmishing order, thereby giving the appearance of their being more numerous than in reality they were. Two gun-boats at the same time took up positions within shell-range of the Persians, and opened fire upon their camp. The Persian guns did not reply to the fire, but a few shots were discharged by their marksmen which did not take effect. By noon the British detachment was in possession of Ahwaz, and to the left of the stream the Persian army could now be dis- tinguished in full retreat. It retired in tolerable order, being covered by the Bakhtiari horse. A British party was upon this sent across to the opposite bank of the Karoon, to set fire to the magazines that had been abandoned by the Persians ; but the plundering Arabs were already at work in the deserted camp. The expedition then pro- ceeded down the stream to Mohamra, bringing on board the ships such of the Persian stores found at Ahwaz as had not been destroyed. So far the operations of Sir James Outram had been completely successful. Bushire and Mohamra had been taken and occupied, and the Persian forces had been defeated at Khushab and driven from Ahwaz. But had the war continued, it would have been difficult to determine a line of operations to be followed with a probability of its being attended with advantage to the British Government. General Jacob, who was second in command of the expeditionary force, and whose valuable services and great achievements on the northern frontier
- The troops landed on the left bank, properly speaking, of the Karoon ;
but to the right of the position occupied by the British vessels.
