132 



History of the Ramoossies, 



[April 



ing to the Punt Suchew do not appear to have rendered 

 much assistance to Captain Boyd ; indeed, he mentioned 

 that these men took their departure shortly after the 

 firing commenced. 



The Bund much alarmed now separated upon retiring- 

 from the Mandurdeo hills. About fifty accompanied Oo- 

 miah to the neighbourhood of Pandoogur, and an equal 

 number went with Bhojajee to the southeast ; the rest fled 

 in various directions. Essoo Neekary, Kristnajee Naik, 

 and Witto, returned to the Poorundur hills for the purpose 

 of collecting more men ; but all their adherents were so 

 pressed in the vicinity of Poorundur, that they gave up 

 every intention of adding to the number of the gang. A 

 hundred men of the 1st Grenadier Regiment having arriv- 

 ed from Poona, Lieutenant Fouler ton was posted with fifty 

 men at Bhongoly to guard the south side of the Poorun- 

 dur hill. 



The two Naiks with their followers were now anxious to 

 reunite, but in consequence of being pressed by the several 

 detachments that were following them, they crossed each 

 others route unawares, Oomiah having gone to the Choun- 

 deshwur hills east of Waie, while Bhojajee went to the 

 mountains near and to the north of Mhabelleshwur, where 

 he remained for a week procuring food from the Jungums 

 (the priests of the Linggait caste) who reside on the top of 

 some of these hills, and from the Dhunggurs or cowherds 

 who live in those wilds. 



Oomiah soon returned to the Poorundur hills with his 

 party; but the inhabitants were still greatl}^ afraid of com- 

 municating information respecting his movements, and 

 when they did give intelligence, it was always after the 

 Bund had moved off from the place, and too late to be of 

 any advantage. About this time Lieutenant Shaw, 9th 

 Regiment, from Shollapoor, took up a position at the Mah- 

 deo temple, southeast of Phultun, with seventy-five men ; 

 he was directed to post a Jemadar's detachment at a village 

 half way between his own position and the detachment at 

 Salpie, to keep up the chain of communication. Lieutenant 

 Forbes of the 13th Regiment, and Lieutenant Christopher 

 of the 11th Regiment, occupied the passes leading down 



