1834.] 



History of the Ramoossies. 



152 



seen by the villagers. These are, therefore, preserved in a smother- 

 ed state, and kept under their clothes. They now approach rapidly 

 towards the house and post a couple of men as sentries in each 

 street, or lane, leading to it, and the torches being lighted, they rush 

 into the house if the door be open leaving a strong party outside for 

 their protection against an attack from the villagers, — should it be 

 shut, they will break it open with their hatchets and stones, if they 

 cannot succeed in getting into the interior of the dwelling by climb- 

 ing over the wall. 



The first object of the gang upon their entrance, is to prevent 

 any of the inmates of the house from eftecting their escape outside 

 to give intimation to the inhabitants, or into the interior, or to the 

 -y top of the house, as they might carry off some valuable property, 

 and conceal it. Besides, the clothes and ornaments on their per- 

 sons would be lost to the robbers. Therefore, if there appear to be 

 ■ any intention on the part of the inmates of the house to move off, 

 or to attempt any resistance, the members of the gang immediately 

 commence calling out to each other to seize and beat them ! Af- 

 ter seizing them, they bring them to the front, or probably, shut them 

 up in a room, till the gang have searched every place for valuables, 

 and should they have reason to suppose that any of the articles have 

 been hidden, they lay hold of either of the men or females, and 

 threaten them with the most severe and cruel punishment, holding 

 their naked swords on the unfortunate people's throats, and often 

 tearing away an infant from its mother's arms, and hoWingit by one 

 of its legs, swinging it round, threaten to terminate its existence by 

 knocking its head against a pillar, if they do not comply with their 

 ■wishes. This, in general, tends to obtain the information they re- 

 quire, and puts into their possession the articles they were in search 

 of. The men, and, sometimes the women, are stripped naked, 

 should their clothes, be new, or nearly so ; and, not unfrequently, 

 the ornaments are torn so forcibly from the women's ears and noses, 

 that the sores, consequently produced, do not heal for several 

 months. It is very seldom that the Ramoossies proceed so far as 

 to violate the chastity of females, although there have been many 

 instances of their doing so within these three years in the Punt Su^ 

 chew's country ; but if any of the men are courageous enough to 

 make an obstinate struggle in defence of their property, they are 

 frequently wounded or killed, and the women aware of the risk their 

 husbands, fathers, and sons, incur when their dwelling is attacked 

 by a. gang of robbers, exert themselves to get the male part of the 



