149 



Histori/ oj the Ramoossies* 



[April 



rovin;? throii2:li the most unfrequented spots of these hills and jun- 

 g-les where it is well known there are many tia;ers and bears, • few, if 

 anv accidents happen, although they are often encountered, parti- 

 cuiarlv at night. The members of a Bund, however, are fully im- 

 pressed with the superstitious idea that their own good fortune aids 

 them while so engaged besides being especially under the protection 

 of the spirit of the forest, tigers and bears are prevented molesting 

 them. 



. Should they be following a treasure party, one of their spies here 

 joins them, and informs them that the party, with their charge, will 

 move from a particular village and in their route will pass near them 

 in the course of the morning. Some favourable spot near the road 

 is fixed upon by them to take post in, ere the treasure arrives. 

 The gang having girded up their loins tightly, and twisted a cloth 

 firmly round their faces to prevent their features from being distin- 

 guished, when the treasure party comes abreast of them, they rush 

 on the escort and immediately commence seizing the money. If the 

 men in charge attempt to use their arms, the Ramoossies instantly 

 use theirs, and after two or three of the escort are wounded, or, pro- 

 bably killed, the rest move off to a distance leaving their charge in 

 the possession of tiie gang. Ramoossies carry off their prize as ra- 

 pidly as possible, into the nearest jungle or hills, and after they 

 make a division of it into small portions, for the convenience of car- 

 riage, should it have been in large bags, they march off with all pos- 

 sible speed by a different route to that by which they had previous- 

 ly come, and before reaching their homes, one of the party is deput- 

 ed with a contribution of one, two, or five rupees to be presented as 

 an offering to their god Khundobah,orthe goddess Bhoanny, in ful- 

 filment of their vow. When they have reached the Naik*s house, 

 all the money is deposited before him. He distributes the amount 

 equally among all , keeping a sum equal to about twice the amount 

 of a Ramoossy's share for his own portion ; however, he sometimes 

 takes much more, but this of course depends on his character and 

 influence. Oomiah, for instance, required those he employed, to 

 deliver up to him the property of every description that fell into 

 their hands, and he afterwards repaid them according to the ideas 

 of the service they had performed. It was seldom he acted very 

 liberally en these occasions, and the consequence was, that, latterly 

 he was defrauded of the greatest part of the property of which the 

 poor people were plundered notwithstanding that he was in the habit 



