1834.] 



History of the Ramoossies. 



150 



of making the Ramoossies he employed to commit Durrorrahs, take 

 a most solemn oath that they had not secreted, or withheld, any 

 part of the plunder. An account of the cruel and tyrannical system 

 which this most notorious Ramoossy Naik established when he was at 

 Sakoordy, in the year 1829, and 1830, will be given in detail here- 

 after. 



It is necessary to observe that the Ramoossies make a point of al- 

 ways going in sufficient numbers to enable them with ease to over- 

 power an escort. It is very seldom that the latter, inconsequence 

 make any great show of resistance and sometimes none at all, the 

 Ramoossies seizing two or three of them and beating others with 

 sticks, give time to the rest of the gang to throw the treasure from off 

 1 the tattoos or bullocks, and run away with it. 



When a gang of Ramoossies encounter two or three men passing 

 along an unfrequented spot, with treasure, or any valuable property, 

 they will sometimes put them to death, if they make any resistance, 

 or recognise any of the gang, and their bodies are buried in the bed 

 of a nulla or thicket in the vicinity. The travellers proceeding on 

 their journey will probably observe three or four men sitting in the 

 middle of the road some distance in advance of them, apparently 

 engaged eating paan supary, for upon the approach of the travellers, 

 one of the party will pretend that he is busy cracking a nut between 

 two stones, whilst another is tendering tobacco to his companions ; 

 two or three of their friends well armed remain concealed behind 

 some bushes or stones, in the vicinity and should the travellers offer 

 resistance when called upon to surrender their property, the party 

 call out in a threatening manner, that they had better deliver it up 

 otherwise they will all attack and kill them. 



Should the object of attack be a banker's or merchant's house, or 

 that of any wealthy individual, the Ramoossies prepare themselves, 

 and proceed the same way as they do when they go to plunder trea- 

 sure, only that they carry one or two small hatchets, and probably a 

 crow-bar with them, in order to break open the door of the house, 

 should they find it fastened. 



Incase of their being attacked, and compelled to run away, when 

 busily occupied in plundering a house, they almost invariably fix 

 on a convenient place as a rendezvous for them to re-assemble at. 

 This is to admit of their returning to their homes in a collected 

 state ; for should they disperse over the country, some of them might 

 be apprehended the following day. Besides, should they not have 



