ave forth their piratical hordes--the sea was covered by their light
galleys and swept by their strong pars--Tanauna, Shartana, Sheklusha,
Tursha, and Uashasha combined their squadrons into a powerful fleet,
while Purusata and Tekaru advanced in countless numbers along the land.
The Purusata were especially bent on effecting a settlement; they
marched into Northern Syria from Asia Minor accompanied by their wives
and children, who were mounted upon carts drawn by oxen, and formed a
vast unwieldy crowd. The other nations sent their sailors and their
warriors without any such encumbrances. Bursting through the passes of
Taurus, the combined Purusata and Tekaru spread themselves over Northern
Syria, wasting and plundering the entire country of the Khita, and
proceeding eastward as far as Carchemish "by Euphrates," while the ships
of the remaining confederates coasted along the Syrian shore. Such
resistance as the Hittites and Syrians made was wholly ineffectual. "No
people stood before their arms." Aradus and Kadesh fell. The conquerors
pushed on towards Egypt, anticipating an easy victory. But their fond
hopes were doomed to disappointment.

Ramesses had been informed of the designs and approach of the enemy, and
had had ample time to make all needful preparations. He had strengthened
his frontier, called out all his best-disciplined troops, and placed the
mouths of the Nile in a state of defence by means of forts, strong
garrisons, and flotillas upon the stream and upon the lakes adjacent. He
had selected an eligible position for encountering the advancing hordes
on the coast route from Gaza to Egypt, about half-way between Raphia and
Pelusium, where a new fort had been built by his orders. At this point
he took his stand, and calmly awaited his enemies, not having neglected
the precaution to set an ambush or two in convenient places. Here, as
he kept his watch, the first enemy to arrive was the land host of the
Purusata, encumbered with its long train of slowly moving bullock-carts,
heavily laden with women and children. Ramesses instantly attacked
them--his ambushes rose up out of their places of concealment--and the
enemy was beset on every side. They made no prolonged resistance.
Assaulted by the disciplined and seasoned troops of the Egyptians, the
entire confused mass was easily defeated. Twelve thousand five hundred
men were slain in the fight; the camp was taken; the army shattered to
pieces. Nothing was open to t