Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 12.9.1

12.9.1

As they were approaching, every one who had a beast to spare or a bag to muster, made haste to repair thither in expectation of finding, as usual, that town full of grain and all kinds of provisions, but the enemy had been beforehand with them, and had a little before fallen upon that town, and sacked and plundered it, setting fire to such grain and provisions as could not be carried away. This was the resource found in that populous town, and the half-burnt and half-parched grain feasted the eyes of those famished wretches, like a table spread with a quantity of unexpected victuals. Aaly-verdy-qhan having taken up his quarters at Catwa, wrote to Hadji Ahmed and to Nevazish-mahmed-qhan, Governors of the city, to inform them of his situation, and to request their taking care of the city and country, but above all, their sending his second nephew, Seyd-ahmed-qhan, to join the army immediately with a supply of provisions and everything necessary. The news of this arrival filled that family with joy. At first they had entirely lost every track of Aaly-verdy-qhan, as they had received no intelligence at all from him this longwhile; so that they had given him up for lost. When therefore letters came from him, and they heard of his being so near the city, they prostrated themselves before that Supreme one who finds means to bring together the parted and distant, and to save those that seem without resource;