1834.] History of the Ramoossies, 114 



grant his superiors the usual perquisites, most hkelj he will very 

 soon have cause to repent the circumstance, for the Naik having 

 learned all the particulars of the robbery, he, or another person for 

 him, will communicate the information to the local authorities which 

 ultimately leads to the stubborn Ramoossy's apprehension, convic- 

 tion, and punishment. None of this tribe appear to have entered as 

 sepoys into any of the Regiments in the British service ; but some 

 few of them are employed as sibundies, and not immediately under 

 their own Naiks. Formerly several Naiks, with two or three of 

 their relations, were employed as Silladar horsemen with different 

 Jaggeerdars in the Mharata armies. 



The Ramoossies, it may be said, are an extremely hardy, active 

 and enterprising people, but at the same time covetous, rapacious 

 and treacherous — in fact they possess many bad and few good qua- 

 lities, their passions being in general unrestrained by any correct 

 moral principles. 



They delight in an idle roving life, assuming most commonly the 

 character of the hunter armed either with matchlock-gun,* or snares, 

 occasionally killing tigers, wild hog, deer,t hares, partridges &c. for 

 with few exceptions they would consider the toilsome and domestic 

 habits of the industrious husbandman altogether unbearable. Those 

 however, settled in Maundesh, are of a more peaceable description 

 and of more industrious habits, and the Ramoossies residing in the 

 AkoUa, Sungumnair, and Sinnure Pergunnahs of the Ahmednuggur 

 collectorate, it may be said have become pure cultivators. 



In their appearance, they are scarcely to be distinguished from the 

 Koonbies (farmers) and the rest of the lower orders of the popula- 

 tion. Their features in general, are rather ill favored, although 

 many of them are stout and very good looking, they 

 are frequently seen well dressed, and wearing gold and silver orna- 

 ments— many of them appear to live to a very old age, and when 



• They were formerly armed with bows and arrows. The Ramoossies and 

 Bheels and manyofthe Koliesuse the figure of a bow and arrow as heir 

 to Manual. In the same manner that the other classes ^^f^^^J^X ^^^ 

 Ssl the impliments of their profession; viz. the ^^Pf/.^l^^.t^f^^^^^^^^ 

 rn^r his olouch, the grocer his scales, the weaver his shuttle, the mhantnc 

 J^me as CrfandpLwary) his staff, the mang-^^^ bhall smgarah or kmfe. 



t Many of the Ramoossies are capital "^^^ksmen Several of them in t^^^^^ 



fucMemrn as are in the habit of employing them as Shikarnes or game 

 killers. 



