508 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



and accustomed to undergo every 

 species of fatigue. They are fear- 

 less of death, and, in battle, said 

 to tight witl) great gallantry, only 

 requiring a leader to direct them 

 to the proper point fcir a display 

 of their impetuous valour. Bound 

 by no laws, and restrained by no 

 feelings of humanity, the Nha- 

 rooes are the most savage and 

 predatoiy class of Belooches ; and, 

 while they deem private theft dis- 

 honourable and disgraceful in the 

 extreme, they contemplate the 

 plunder and devastati<m of a coun- 

 ty with such opposite sentiments, 

 that tliey consider it an exploit 

 deserving of the highest commen- 

 dation ; and, steeled by that feel- 

 ing, tliey will individually recount 

 the assistance they have rendered 

 on such occa>ions, the numbers 

 of men, women and children they 

 have made captives and carried 

 away or nuirdered, the villages 

 tliey have biirned and plundered, 

 and the flocks they have slaugh- 

 tered when unable to dri^e them 

 off. 



The lawless incursions, during 

 which these outrages and cruel- 

 ties are cuuunitred, are here call- 

 ed Chupaos ; and as they are al- 

 most always condvicted under the 

 inuuediae superiiitendance and 

 oiders of the chiefs, they form a 

 very coi.siderable sotnce of profit 

 to tliem. The depredators aie 

 usually mounted on camels, and 

 furnished, accoiding to the dis- 

 tance they have to go, W'th f. od, 

 consisting of dates sour cheese, 

 and bread; they also cany water 

 in a small leathern bag, if requi- 

 site, which is often the case in 

 the midst of their desei ts. When 

 all is piepared they setoff, and 

 march incessantly till within a 



few miles of the point whence the 

 Chupao is to commence, ami then 

 halt in a jungiil or some unfre- 

 quented spot, in order to give 

 their camels rest. On the ap- 

 proach of night, they mount 

 again; and as soon as the in- 

 habitants have retired to repose, 

 they begin their attack by burn- 

 ing, destroying, and carrying off 

 whatever comes in their way. 

 They never think of resting for 

 one moment during the Chupao, 

 but ride on, over the territory on 

 wliich it is made, at tlie rate of 

 eighty or ninety miles a day, un- 

 til they have loaded their camels 

 with as much pillage as they can 

 po-sibly lemove ; and, as they 

 are very expert in the manage- 

 ment of those animtds, eacli man 

 on an average, will have charge 

 of ten or twebe : if practicable, 

 they make a circuit, which ena- 

 bles them to return by a different 

 route from the one they came : 

 this is attended with the advan- 

 tage of affording a double pros- 

 pect of plunder, and also mis- 

 leads those who pursue the rob- 

 bers, a step generally taken, 

 though witli little effect, when a 

 sufficient body of men can be col- 

 lected for that purpose. 



From I his description of Chu- 

 pao-i, w hicli was given me by se- 

 veral diffeient Melooches who had 

 been upon them, they are evi- 

 dently services of great pei il and 

 dinger Many of the marauders, 

 who are separated fioiu their 

 comp:mions in the night and left 

 behmd, are seized, mutilated, and 

 murdered in the most cruel num- 

 ner by the exa^jierated inhabit- 

 ants ; others are killed in the 

 skirmishes which take place, and 

 some die from fatigue and wrnt 



of 



