62 JANUARY 1766. 
if they chose it, but dared me to take any Coolies. I forbore making him any 
farther Answer that Time, intending to visit him the first Opportunity. 
I immediately applied to the Resident 1 at Rungpour requesting his Assistance 
in procuring Rearers & Coolies. He sent me a considerable Number from Rungpour, 
24 but as they deserted on the Road I received no more than 18. 
The ioth. in the morning we left Curygong, having prest what Coolies we could 
at that Place, & proceeded by way of Olyapour in order to explain Matters with the 
Dewan. We arrived at Olyapour late in the Night. 
I sent a Message to the Dewan this Night & another in y e morning of y e nth. 
requiring him to make his Appearance, but he treated them both with great In- 
difference About 8 next morning I went with Mr. Richards & 16 Sepoys towards his 
Countrey House under cover of a thick Fog, but he had got intelligence of our March, 
& was gone before we entered the House. I informed the Servants that if they did 
not produce their Master I should set fire to the House, which was accordingly done 
soon after & we retired to our Baggage on the South side of the Teesta. 2 
The fire was extinguished immediately after we left the House. 
25 Although the Dewan had not Resolution enough to defend his House, yet he 
followed us immediately with 150 Burgundasses 3 & 300 Villagers some of which came 
close to our Rear & began to fire at us, which Fire we returned in single Shots for 
upwards of 6 miles they being afraid to close with us & retreating whenever we made 
a Stand. When we arrived at a Jungle opposite Tytari we turned & cleared the 
Village & adjacent Jungles of them, & by that Means got through the thick Jungle 
without Damage, nor did they follow us any farther. 
The Dewan sent two threatning Messages to me whilst I stayed in Tytari, but 
soon after he retired & we set out for Rungpour/ 
We arrived at Rungpour the 12th. in the Evening, after meeting a Detachment 
of Sepoys which were sent at my request from Rungpour. Here we remained till 
y e 22nd. being detained for want of Bullocks & Coolies. 
1 Probably the Chief of the I'actory at Nawabgauj ( ante p. 55). 
2 This somewhat high-handed proceeding is related as though it were quite an ordinary occurrence, and it was 
not the only occasion on which Major Rennell had any serious trouble of this kind with the natives ( see Appendix B). 
As the following passage shows, the Dewan had a quite sufficient force to defend his house had he the resolution to do so. 
S More commonly written ‘ Burkundauze derived from ‘ barkandaz ’ a ‘lightning darter’ and signifying 
an armed retainer or policeman. Hobson Jobson quotes an extract from a letter of Rennell’s dated August 5 th 1776 
(sic.) describing this affair. He says: — “ The Country Jemitdars ” (Zemindars or land owners) -‘remote from Calcutta, 
treat us frequently with great Insolence, and I was obliged to retreat with only an officer and 17 Sepoys near 6 miles in 
the face of 3 or 400 Burgundasses, who lined the woods and kept a straggling Fire all ye way ” (p. 980). 
•* This appears to have been the end of the ‘ incident.’ No mention is made of it elsewhere in the Journal, 
[ 162 ] 
