BADHEKS AND THEGS. £K5 



lelvtfs f and food for their fubfiftencc. At other times their janmddn 

 journey through the couatry as merchanEs ; accompanied by their 

 gangs, and women as fervants : with camels, carts, tents and doohes. 

 Previoufly to their commencing thefe expeditions, they fend out their 

 fpiesj difguifed as rdigious mendicants, commonly as hyrdgh, to ob* 

 tain intelligence in any town or city where they may determine to pro- 

 ceed. It is the bufinefs of thefe fpies to gain correft information re- 

 garding the hoards of cafh or jewels in the houfes of merchants and 

 others, orrefpeftiog difpatches of treafure. In the principal cities are 

 to be found perfons Oyling themfelves jamaddrs, who fupply the 

 bankers and merchants with hired peons, for the fafe-guard of treafure 

 ■ or merchandizCo Some indiviiuals of this defcription have been ob- 

 ;ferved to rife to great opulence in a fhort time. In feveral confeffions 

 of Bddhtks Sip^reh&nded in Fnrruckabad, Sdran and other places, it is 

 iftated that the Badhtk fpies collude with thofe jummadars ; and in- 

 flances are mentioned of the Badheks having themfelves been hired out 

 hy tht(ejawJdSrs; to fcrve as peons for the proteclion of the treafure 

 which they intended to plunder. The farrdfs and mahdjdns, whether 

 ifrom falfe oeconomy or from careleiTnefs, ufually fend their money 

 ;under very infufficicnt efcorts ; and it is a common prailice to attempt 

 to remit and conceal a difpatch by Tewing up the money in the 

 clothes of the peons— When the fpies have obtained information, they 

 ^prepare bambus, as (hafts for fpears, which they bury under ground 

 withtorches for the ufe of the gang — They endeavor alfo to arrange 

 for the reception of the gang, on their arrival, with fome zemindar or 

 local refident, wuth whom they may have been formerly acquainted ; 

 or they fele6l fome retired jungle or ravine where they may remain 

 concealed till the time of adion.— On the arrival of the gang xh^jamadar 

 arranges his plan with the fpies. — They then quit iheir place of 

 .concealment, dig up the bamboos and torches, and fixing on their fpesr 



2 I? 



