1835.] History of the Ramoossles. 123 



ed — Detachments frora .Shollapoor, and from the Kontan, to secure the 

 passps in the Syadry Ghauts. — An attempt to surprise Ooraiah failed. — Re- 

 v/ards off n-od f :r the apprehension of th ' Naiks. — Oomiah surprised near Goo- 

 iinchy. — He rejoins his brother and Bhoj=(jve Naik in the h ill south of the 

 Neera. — They address proclamations to all thi? Ramoossies, calling upon them 

 ■ to join them at the fjrt of Pooruudur. — The Baud are surprised near Walla. 

 — The Kolies quit it„ 



The circumstance of Oomiali's having absconded from 

 Poona on the IGth of December, became no sooner known 

 to the collector^ Mr. Giberne, (who at the time was in the 

 district sixty miles east of Foona,) than he called on 

 the Ramoossy Naiks in the pay of Government, and the 

 Patells who were security for Oomiah, to seize him, and 

 take him back to the capital. These men replied, that they 

 were ignorant of Oomiah's place of retreat, but that they 

 would endeavour to discoverit, and that he (the collector) 

 might depend on their discharging their duty faithfully — - 

 at the same time observing that Oomiah must have bean- 

 persuaded by some persons in the pay of Government to 

 fly from the place. 



Some af the Naiks subsequently visited Poona; they 

 invariably pleaded ignorance of Oomiah's place of retreat, 

 stating that as no information could be gained respecting 

 him, it was evident he must have proceeded to a great dis- 

 tance, and most probably into the territory of some foreign 

 prince. 



Towards the end of December, accounts from Sakoordy 

 stated that the men employed there (the Ramoossy Naiks 

 and their Sib undies) had quitted the village, and were re- 

 siding in the adjoining hills, and that a number of persons 

 were assembling from different parts of the country. The 

 Naiks showed considerable- backwardness now in visiting 

 Poona; and although they still boldly denied knowing any 

 thing concerning Oomiah, all the people of the district 

 who took an interest in the matter, were quite satisfied that 

 Oomiah had joined his friends at Sakoordy. 



Government was well acquainted, from long experience, 

 with Oomiah's talent for carrying on v/ith singular success 

 a predatory system of warfare, and was anxious to avoid 

 the consequent trouble and expense that would necessarily 

 follow, if hostilities were commenced against bun ; although, 

 at the same time, fully c&nvixivcJ cf iLe nccesoity of crusli^ 



