118 



History of the Ramoossies, 



[April 



na particularly irksome to him, where he met with Httle 

 or no consideration. 



When traversing the large town of Poona, he no douht 

 encountered many discontented and evil disposed persons, 

 (as he himself has said) who urged him to fly to the jun- 

 gles. There was a commixture of circumstances which 

 induced him to resolve on extricating himself from the un- 

 pleasant situation in which he was now placed. He there- 

 fore wished to put his fortune to the hazard once more, 

 under the sanguine hope of triumphing overall the obsta- 

 cles that might be thrown in his way, to prevent his resum- 

 ing authority at Sakoordy. He had remained about five 

 weeks at Poona, being satisfied that Sir J. Malcolm had 

 quitted Bombay, and that he might with safety take his 

 departure, he one evening quitted the place. He remained 

 concealed with his friends till the middle of January, 1831, 

 when they proceeded towards Bhore_, as shall be hereafter 

 related. 



A few days after Oomiah had left his followers, and pro- 

 ceeded to Poona to reside, a party of Ramoossies march- 

 ed for Waiedesh and plundered the house of a Shastry at 

 Dhome, near Waie, on the night of the 9th November. 

 They secured gold and silver ornaments valued at eight 

 hundred and ninety rupees. 



As it may appear somewhat singular, that suchaminute ac- 

 count should have been obtained of Oomiah's proceedings 

 while he remained at Sakoordy, and that the magistrate of 

 Poona should have permitted such villany with his jurisdic- 

 tion, it need only be observed, that I received the infor- 

 mation from several of the persons who were most actively 

 engaged in the transactions related, and that many of the 

 particulars were communicated by the sufferers them- 

 selves. 



The commission of several of these atrocious acts came 

 to the knowledge of the magistrate by public rumour ; for 

 in the few instances that the sufferers ventured to brave 

 Oomiah's power, the magistrate exerted himself to do 

 justice to the complainants. 



The precautions that were adopted by this crafty Ra^ 

 Hioossy to prevent any complaints against himself reaching 



