127 



History of the Ramoossies, 



[April 



obscurity and contradiction, and this is the case with that of the 

 Raipoossies. 



The race of people known by the name of Ramoossies, reside 

 chiefly in the outskirts of the towns and villages, in the vallies of 

 the Maun, Neera, Bheema, and Pera rivers, and in the adjoining 

 plains and highlands — within the dominions of His Highness the 

 Rajah of Satara, and the Poona and Ahmednuggur collectorates. 



The tract of country over which they are dispersed, is nearly two 

 hundred miles in length ; and throughout the Satara territory, and 

 the southern portion of the Poona district, it varies from eighty to 

 about one hundred and twenty miles in breadth — becoming much 

 narrower as we apj3roach the northern limits in the vicinity of 

 Nassik, on the banks of the Godavery — so that the part of the 

 country in which they reside, lies within the 17^ and 20 ^ of N. 

 latitude, and 73^ 40'' and 75 40^' E. longitude. 



It may be observed, that although in several of the Poorans, (the 

 Pudma, Bhruma, Wywurt, Skund, ^c.) and the Bhruhudand Lughoo 

 Jatveew^eks, a slight genealogical notice is taken of the mixed tribes of 

 Hindoos, the term Ramoossy is not mentioned in either of them. 

 Bharoor is the Sanscrit word applied to the Ramoossies in the 

 Jatveewek, a work principally compiled from extracts from the 

 Poorans. 



A short extract from each of the before mentioned Poorans, which 

 are supposed to allude to the origin of these people, might be given 

 here, but as different learned Brahmins, well versed in the shastres, 

 agreed that the account in the Jatveewek is the true one, I shall 

 only insert it. 



" The children of a Shoodur (4th class) father, and a Brahminy 

 mother, are designated chandall, (the lowest of the low,) and those 

 of a chandall father and a Eckshuttry (2d class) mother, are termed 

 Dombh : again, the offspring of a Shoodur father and Vyse (3d 

 class) mother, is termed Neeshaad — then the children of a Necshaad 

 father and a Shoodur mother are known by the name of Poolkussy ; 

 and lastly, the children of a Dombh father and Poolkussy mother are 

 called Bharroor, whose profession it is to guard villages, and to warn 

 the inhabitants of any approaching danger." 



It is conjectured that the Ramoossies, from having originally 

 lived at a distance from villages, must have been termed Raan-vus- 

 sy, the resident of waste, or desolate lands, from raan, a waste, a 

 desert, a wood, and vussy, residing ; and the harsh appellative of 

 Raan-vussy, was converted, in the course of time, into the more 



