cause annoyance and to detain a British force of some
strength than to exercise much influence upon the war as a whole.

Farther to the north, on this Red Sea littoral, is a province of much
more importance, the Hejaz, in which are situate the most holy of cities
in the Moslem world, Mecca and Medina. To Christians, the Hejaz is
forbidden ground. To Mahomedans, it is the focus of pilgrimage from all
parts of the world. The Sultan of Turkey, as the ruler of Mecca, is
looked up to by the Sunni or orthodox Mahomedans in all lands as the
spiritual head of their Church. Though rulers of the Hejaz, the Turks
were not at one with the local population. These are Arabs, and to them
the Turkish rule was as unpopular as to most other non-Turkish subjects
of that decaying Empire. Profiting by Turkey's embarrassments in other
parts, the Arabs rose in the summer of 1916, resolved on ridding
themselves of the hated Turkish yoke. Sheikh Hussein of Mecca was
proclaimed King of the Hejaz.

At this time there were garrisons of Turkish troops stationed at Mecca,
Medina and at the port of Jiddah. Their communication with Turkey was by
the recently opened railway to Damascus and Aleppo. This railway, south
of Damascus, ran along the high plateau on the eastern side of the Dead
Sea, through Maan, and along the desert to Medina. The intention was to
carry the line ultimately through to Mecca, but at this time it was only
open for traffic as far as Medina. The revolt broke out on the 5th June,
1916, at which date a cordon was spread round Medina. Jiddah was
attacked on the 9th, and capitulated after holding out for only a week.
The bulk of the Mecca garrison were at this time at Taif. Accordingly,
the town of Mecca passed into the hands of the Emir, with the exception
of the ports. These put up a small fight, but had all surrendered by the
middle of July. The force at Taif were blockaded, and, on the 23rd
September, this force also surrendered. By this time, all the outlying
garrisons had been disposed of, and the Hejaz generally cleared of
Turks.

Meanwhile, Medina had not only held out, but had been reinforced, and
the fighting strength brought up to some 14,000. Late in September, the
Turks sallied out and established a cordon of posts at a distance of
some 30 to 40 miles from the city. They also pushed further afield; but,
Arab armies moving up from the south, the Turks withdrew, at the end of
the year, behind the cordon of posts which t