16 History of the Ra?noossies, [Jan. 



having received intelligence of the gang heing in the hills 

 near Sakoordy, detached a party of Sebundies to Pureenchy 

 to act in concert with the party immediately under his own 

 direction about to advance from Sa$soor. When Bulwunt 

 Row reached Sakoordy, a quarrel arose between one of his 

 men and some of the inhabitants; the latter were determined 

 to lodge a complaint before the Kamavisdur of Sassoor 

 against the sepoy. They had proceeded about two miles 

 when Bulwunt Row persuaded them to sit down^ in the hope 

 of being able to pacify them ; just at this moment, a body 

 of armed men w-ere observed emerging from the hills about 

 a mile distant. The Koley concluded that they must be his 

 own men, who had been directed to move by Pureenchy ; they 

 were not however kept long in suspense. Greatly to 

 Bulwunt Row's terror, (for he had not above fifteen men 

 with him, the others having gone to an adjoining village,) he 

 heard the Ramoossy Naiks calling out to him to halt till 

 they should come up with him ; the people of Sakoordy 

 immediately fled to their village. The Koley Naik took 

 the route of Belsur, making all possible speed to enable 

 him to save himself and men, by taking possession of a 

 flat-roofed temple well calculated for a place of defence : 

 two of their party were however cut down by the Ramoossies 

 before they could gain the temple. The gang now called on 

 the inhabitants of Belsur to deliver up to them the rascally 

 Kolies ; and it was after much entreaty that they succeeded 

 in getting the Ramoossies to quit the place. The latter re^ 

 turned to Sakoordy, and demanded a contribution of two 

 hundred rupees from the Patell, telling him that he should be 

 cruelly punished, unless the demand was complied with. 

 Some horsemen sent from Sassoor to support Bulwunt Row, 

 proceeded from Belsur to Sakoordy late in the afternoon, 

 where they found the Ramoossies in a position so strong that 

 no hope was entertained that an attack upon them would be 

 successful. The gang a few days afterwards compelled the 

 Sakoordy Patell^ &c. to pay them the contribution of two 

 hundred rupees. The Ramoossy Naiks at this time, com- 

 menced issuing orders to the head men of the surrounding 

 villages to pay them a certain portion of the revenue of their 

 respective villages. I have in my possession copies of several 

 of these orders. They tell the people that should they not 



