1835.] 



History of the Ramoossies, 



5 



dropped down senseless. He soon however, revived, but 

 did not recover for some weeks from the effects of the blow. 

 This accident produced a complete change in Oomiah's 

 habits ; he discontinued from that day to indulge in drink- 

 ing spirits to excess and latterly he abstained entirely. 



About six months after the British took possession of 

 the Poona territory, a banker in Poona (Clianggee Maniah) 

 dispatched some property for Bombay. The Sakoordy 

 and Sassoor Ramoossies under Suttoo Naik, (the same 

 man who three years afterwards accidentally killed the 

 Pokur Mahreen,) accompanied by Oomiah, proceeded with 

 the required rapidity to Kallapoor, eighteen miles from 

 Panwell, where they awaited the approach of the party which 

 they attacked, and carried off the property. The collector 

 received some hints respecting the persons supposed to 

 have committed the robbery; and Oomiah and three others 

 were apprehended. 



They were tried and proved guilty of having been en- 

 gaged in the robbery, and were sentenced to receive a 

 certain number of stripes, and to be imprisoned for one 

 year. After he was set at liberty, he still occasionally 

 joined some of his acquaintances, on their plundering ex- 

 cursions. A part of a gang of Ramoossies, which had 

 plundered the house of the koolkurny of Ing near Bhore, 

 were seized, and they gave in Oomiah's name, as being 

 one of the most active of their party, on the occasion ; he 

 was seized, but he defended himself so ingeniously 

 that he was detained till further proof of his guilt could 

 be brought forward. Oomiah's younger brother Krisna- 

 jee, was in jail at the time, being convicted of having been 

 engaged in a robbery, and sentenced in consequence, to se- 

 ven years hard labour in irons.* During the time Oomiah 

 was in confinement, in his leisure hours, he learned the Bal- 

 bud character and could read easy simple stories. His 

 brother Kristnajee, before he had effected his escape, had 

 also learnt to write in the Mharata character. This might 

 be considered as an indication of the ambitious and aspir- 

 ing spirit of both of these men ; since it is very seldom, 

 that a Ramoossy is to be found, who can either write or 



* Kristnajee effected his escape from jail, about this time, he had been con- 

 demned to seven years imprisonment and hard labour. 



