1834.] 



History of the Ramoossies. 



134 



land, and have stipulated allowance in cash, besides the Balottah 

 perquisites ; while in other places they receive only the cash pay- 

 ment and Balottah. 



Ramoossy, in his character of Rukwalldar, or watchman, is notin-- 

 eluded among- the twelve members of the village Bolottah, — this 

 name is in the list of Alottahdars, or those who receive the charita- 

 ble allowance. The inhabitants of some villages grant the Balottah 

 dues of their own free will and accord, but do not acknowledge it as 

 a perquisite, or right of office, due to the watchman, or which he 

 can claim in addition to the money allowances and the rent-free land 

 which he enjoys. 



Besides these emoluments, the Ramoossy receives a perquisite 

 which is termed the Tull cha pysa, or fees for occupying the halt- 

 ing or resting place. Merchants and travellers passing through the 

 country with cattle loaded with goods, and occupying the tull, or 

 berarr, (resting place) in or near a village, with fifty or several hun- 

 dred bullocks, conveying grain, salt, cloth, &c. it matters not what 

 description of merchandize, the Ramoossy watchman undertakes to 

 protect their property and persons during their stay. In some few 

 towns, the Patells and Mhars get a trifling allowance from these tra- 

 vellers — but the Ramoossy always receives his fee, averaging two, 

 three or four annas for every hundred bullocks — or should the tra- 

 vellers, or, more properly, the merchants be in separate parties, put^ 

 ting up at the same tull, they will pay him two or three annas each. 

 If there are only ten or twenty bullocks, they give five or six pyse, 

 (from one to two annas :) an anna may be about three half- pence. 



Should the merchants' cattle have come unloaded, the owners 

 give the Ramoossy a small quantity of flour, or a few cakes of bread, 

 for his trouble. In case a bullock, or part of the property is lost or 

 stolen, the Rukwalldar becomes bound to recover the same, or to 

 make the loss good ; a traveller, with a horse, halting at a village, 

 gives a pyse or cake of bread to the Ramoossy, for the protection af- 

 forded during the night.* 



The Ramoossy watchmen almost invariably receive, or did receive 

 from the villagers, a sheep, or, in lieu thereof, eight annas, at the 

 annual festival of the Dussra ; also a kumbly (blanket) and a pair 

 of shoes. 



The Rukwalldars hold grants of freehold lands in various places, 

 as a reward of services performed by some of their ancestors, besides, 



* The servants of European gentlemen and those connected with them, 

 most cosnmoBly resist paying these dues. 



