20 History of the Ramoossies. [Jan. 



men, obtained information of Oomiah being in the bills near 

 Sakoordy. The detachment marched, accompanied by a 

 number of the inhabitants, to attack the gang. The latter 

 were completely taken by surprise ; for when the detachment 

 ascended the hill, many of the Ramoossies were sleeping, 

 and others bathing. No sooner however had they discovered 

 the sepoys than they blew their horns, got ready their arms, 

 and sent forth shouts of defiance to the detachment. The 

 gang consisted of eighty men on this day. They now form- 

 ed three divisions, one remaining in front of the detachment, 

 and the other two divisions made a demonstration (by a 

 flank movement) of surrounding it. With horrid yells, 

 shouting, and screaming their usual war cry of Ell kote, Ell 

 kote,* they advanced at a quick pace on the detachment, 

 which by this time having expended much of their ammuni- 

 tion, deemed it most prudent to retire towards Jejoory. 

 When they had descended into the plain, and continued 

 fighting as they retreated, Kristnajee Naik, and Wittoo 

 Naik, with twenty men, made a vain effort by a flank move- 

 ment to cut off" their retreat to Jejoory, while the main body 

 under Oomiah, kept pressing on their rear. It is very sin- 

 gular that notwithstanding the length of time they continued 

 skirmishing with each other, that no individual on either side 

 was hurt. On the evening of this day, Oomiah despatched 

 his friend Bhojajee Naik, and two other Ramoossies, in the 

 direction of Baramutty and into Phultan desh, to collect 

 more followers, that they might be enabled to carry on ope- 

 rations on a more extended scale than they hitherto had 

 done ; whilst the gang moved westward in the direction of 

 Singhur, and afterwards to the Syadry mountains, where 

 they met and plundered some sepoys going to Hincloostan on 

 leave, and then returned to Sonapoor. They were in the 

 vicinity of this place on the 3d December, when a party of 

 25 Infantry and the same number of horsemen reached the 

 village in search of them. One of the Ramoossies of the 

 village came to Oomiah and informed him of the arrival of 

 the detachment, and of their pressing the villagers to inform 

 them where the gang was to be found. Oomiah told to the 

 Ramoossy to say that his people were busy eating their 



* Ell kote is a term applied to Khundobah, signifying seventy millions, the 

 supposed mnnber of the army of the demon Munny^Muil^ when he wus vancjiuished 

 by Martinda alias Khundoba. 



