BADHEES AND PHECS US9 



out of wells in the fingle didritl of Etaxaah, The gangs compofiLo; 

 this clafs were eftablifhed and foftered in the cflates of the Chieftains 

 Hi RA SiNH, Bhagwant SiNH, and ThAcu r Dayara'm in My Gker^ 

 and of HiMMET Sinh, the former Raja of Eta in the di{lri6t of Etawaht 

 and fome detached parties alfo reGded in different parts of the three 

 diflrids above named. In 181 1, aliftcpf 68 perfons and fcveral lirdars- 

 called jamdddrs, composing thefe gangsj was given into this office by 

 perfons who were induced to deliver thercfeives up to Colonel Gard- 

 ner, under the hope of pardoov They were all Muffelm&ns and chiefly 

 of the Mewdti tribca By the eonfeffions made by the members of 

 thefe gangs, they appear to have carried on their malpraSiiGes in fmall 

 parties, aJTu mi ng various difguifes, refornng to the SsraiSi . 2.x\6. accom- 

 panying travellers under fpecious pretences, to have watched their op*- 

 portuni ty, and to have dedroyed their vi61:ims in retired places conri- 

 monly by ftrangulation, the knife being iifed alfo, to fecure complete 

 deftrudion, and the bodies being lEfually thrown into wells or nullahs. 

 Deleterious drugs arefaid to be u fed only by novices ia the bufinefs, 

 the more experienced T'hegs trading rather to the certain cffeds of the 

 knife or cord j than to the doubtful operation of poiion. Thefe raur« ■ 

 ders are mod frequent in the hot winds, at which feafon travellers ar« 

 induced to ftart on their journey before day light 10 avoid the heat. 



2iC/a/}.—THrs clafs confids cxclufively of Hindus, and chiefly of 

 the Loi^A tribe..— They are ftated to pafs themfelves on travellers as 

 hrahmins ^Xidicayets, and are reported to be much more numerous 

 than the ift clafe. — The fcene of their depredations has been, for the 

 mOil part, on the confines pf Etam%h^^ni the Weflerathannahs of the 

 CdhpuY d\?in&:, and they are dated to be odenfibly engaged in cuhi« 

 yating.fm?.ll Tpotsof land, though in fad fupported by the more l^i-*- 



3-E 



