14 History of the Ramoossies. [Jan- 



south of the Neera, in the beginning of March 1827, of 

 property to the vahie of three thousand rupees, proceeded 

 to the western Ghauts, and remained in the small vallies 

 in the Syadry range. Oomiah had with him about sixty 

 men, and in the month of May they descended into the 

 Konkan, near the bottom of the Bhore Ghaut, on the 

 Bombay road, where they fell in with some people convey- 

 ing to Poona a great quantity of silks and satins, of consi- 

 derable value, which the Ramoossies immediately seized. 

 Several rolls of silk fell to the lot of each man. Again, 

 on the 10th of June, in the vicinity of the same place, 

 they stopped some people employed by the bankers at 

 Poona, and carried off 3,100 rupees. Partly to dispose of 

 their plunder and also to visit their families, as the rainy 

 season was approaching, they returned to the Poorundur 

 hills. Finding that the Poorundur Kolies in the pay of 

 Government were disposed to act zealously against the 

 gang, a portion of the Ramoossies attacked the Kolies in 

 their village of Bhyr Warry, on the night of the 6th of 

 June. The Kolies defended themselves resolutely ; they 

 had one man killed and four wounded. For the conveni- 

 ence of obtaining food, &c. the gang now separated into 

 several small parties. On the ist of July Oomiah with 

 thirteen of his followers were discovered in a small ravine 

 near Pureenchy ; and some horsemen stationed there, ac- 

 companied by the inhabitants of several small villages, pro- 

 ceeded to attack the gang. Oomiah with his men cau- 

 tiously kept along the hills, so that neither the horsemen 

 nor villagers could make any impression on the party. Yet 

 Oomiah's men contrived to be more active, for they killed 

 one of the villagers. This disposition on the part of the 

 inhabitants to aid the troops, by acting against the gang, 

 caused some uneasiness to the Ramoossies. Oomiah how- 

 ever soon determined on what he should do in conse- 

 quence. Aware that the people of the country would prefer 

 remaining neuter, to incurring the risk of having their 

 property destroyed during the time he was playing his game, 

 he therefore proceeded on the same night to Pureenchy, 

 and burnt the houses of those persons who had made 

 themselves obnoxious to him by their conduct. 



About ten days after the above mentioned occurrence, Oo- 



