126 



Iliatonj of the .Ramoossles. 



[April 



On the night of tlie lOili January, Oomiali, who had as 

 yet only shown himself to the Naiks and some of his rela- 

 tions, detached ahout twenty Hetkurries and fifteen Ra- 

 moossles to plunder a merchant who liv^ed in Andoory, a 

 small village two koos south of Walla. This party was un- 

 der the direction of his cousin Bappoo Soleseykur, and 

 Dhoondy Peessa (a Koonby who fled from Bhore and was 

 withOoniiah the evening he left Pcona.) The former gave 

 information that this merchant had some gold and silver or- 

 naments in pawn, which he was ahout to send to Waie. 

 The gang proceeded to the village, and returned the fol- 

 lowing morning, having secured the ornaments and carried 

 off such other articles as they could lay their hands on : 

 the value of the property taken was one thousand three 

 hundred and fourteen rupees. 



The detachment from Poona, consisting of three hun- 

 dred men of the 1 7th Regiment under Captain Luyken, 

 reached Sassoor on the 13th January: several letters passed 

 between Mr. Giberne and the Naiks in the interval. They 

 still maintained that they were ignorant of Oomiah's place 

 of retreat, and they novv^ begged that the troops might not 

 be marched against them, and that they might be allov/ed 

 eight days to fulfil their promise of trying to apprehend him. 



The Naiks now sensible that Government were resolved 

 on projecting some very active measures for apprehending 

 Oomiah, and probably curtailing eventually the Ramoossy 

 Ruckwalldarship, (police authority v»^hich had w^orked so 

 unfavourably, and proved to be such a bane to the district 

 v/here it existed,) commenced an evasive and temporizing 

 system of proceeding, evidently for the purpose of afford- 

 ing them time to prepare themselves, and to enable their 

 families (which they sent away from Sakoordy) to get to a 

 distance : this was their object in asking for eight days 

 more, under the pretence of searching for Oomiah. The 

 families* proceeded into the Nixam's country, near Ferin- 

 da, vnth orders to move towards the Soorapoore Rajah's 

 territories (who is a Berrdur; southeast of Beejapoor, 

 should they be pressed by any of the detachments ; and 



* Of the three Naiks who made such strong pi-ofessious of fidelity before tliey 

 quitted Poona v/ith the order for SaVoord/, two moved oSl vvidi the fa:uiiic6, 

 aad th3 tha-d W.tioj -^zc a-iis X 0 j -uidE to B.iiar wary. 



