THE SAWUNTWARI INSURRECTION. 17 



and as all these hill roads cross the 

 British frontier from foreign territory, 

 there was in those days a little custom- 

 house at the head of each pass for the 

 levy of import dues. 



What first brought Phond Sawunt 

 and his clan iijito collision with our 

 authorities I cannot say; but when I 

 assumed charge of Soopah and Ancola 

 the Sawunts had plundered and burnt 

 the Belgaum custom-houses and com- 

 mitted sundry other acts of violence. 

 Troops were sent out against them 

 from Belgaum, but as so often happens, 

 when regular troops are sent into the 

 jungles to attack undisciplined enemies 

 on their own ground, the latter had 

 much the best of it, and our regiments 

 lost men and oflScers without being 







