2^ History of the Ramoossies. [Jan^. 



moossy Naiks had been spreading reports, in a secret man- 

 ner, that the chiefs of the gang were not to blame so much 

 as their conduct and proceedings would imply; that the 

 principal instigators of the disturbance were residents in 

 Poona ; and moreover, that they were in the pay of Govern- 

 ment, and that although the Ramoossies were driven to fight 

 for their rights, that it was at the suggestion of others, (and 

 these the confidential servants of Government,) that they had 

 committed such excesses. 



Oomiah and his friends were aware that Government would 

 not willingly listen to the nature of the claims they were set- 

 ting forth ; and in order to obtain a hearing, it would be 

 necessary for them to exert themselves more than usual ; 

 therefore, on this principle, they had been acting for the last 

 two or three months. 



The Naiks and their friends were satisfied in their own 

 minds that Government had been teazed and harassed so 

 much by their proceedings for several years past, besides the 

 expense of keeping in the field the various corps that were 

 now employed against them, that they would feel disposed 

 to grant them the rights and dues they had been claiming ; 

 and further, that Government must be fully persuaded that 

 all their efforts to apprehend Oomiah must prove unavail- 

 ing, as the greatest exertions had already been made to put 

 the Bund down, and these had not been attended with any 

 success. 



Under this impression, and as the disturbance in the Ko- 

 lapoor district had been settled for the time, Oomiah 

 thought the occasion favourable to try to obtain terms for 

 himself by means of negociation, and that if he could effect this, 

 it would add to the celebrity of his name, but on the con- 

 trary, if his scheme failed, it would be advisable \jO allow 

 his followers to disperse, and for himself to remain quiet for 

 a few months, at the expiration of which time he could, if 

 he deemed it necessary, press his cause with more pertinacity 

 on the notice of Government ; and he proposed to assemble 

 a select and more trustworthy body of followers, since at 

 present the gang consisted in a great measure of persons 

 unknown to him and his friends. This circumstance caus- 

 ed them much serious consideration, for fear some of their 

 followers might be tempted to seize any of them to obtain 



