231 



History of the Ramoossies, 



(July 



neck with his sword. An order was consequently given to bring a 

 saw to have his feet and hands sawed off, upon which it is said, Dad- 

 jee entreated of them to have some patience, and to let him have a 

 knife for a few seconds, and he would remove the invisible difficult 

 ty. When he got the knife, he made an incision in his left arm, 

 and extracted a vahiable gem, that had been placed there by him- 

 self; he then told one of the three executioners (who were all 

 greatly alarmed) to strike and sever his head at one blow, other- 

 wise he would fly at his throat and tear him to pieces. 



In the month of October 1802, .leswunt Row Holkur came to 

 Poona to establish a greater influence, if possible, at that court, 

 and to demand satisfaction for the death of his brother Vitoojee 

 Holkur, who had been tied to an elephant's foot, and dragged 

 through the streets of Poona at the instigation of Balloojee Koon- 

 jur. This was the commencement of another of those periods of 

 confusion and misrule, which were always seasons of harvest to the 

 Ramoassies. 



After the battle of Poona, and the expulsion of the Peshwah 

 from his capital, Holkur constituted Amrut Row, (the adopted 

 brother of Bajee Row,) Peshwah, and called upon the command* 

 ant of the fort of Poorundur to deliver up the place to Amrut Row, 

 which was done. 



It may be observed here, that the fufl revenue, or kumall 

 of the forty villages, set apart for defraying the expenses of the 

 hill fort, was ninety thousand rupees,* but they seldom realized 

 above sixty and, latterly only between forty and fifty thousand, this 

 would give, about five thousand rupees monthly. At this time the 

 number of the garrison was increasd. 



It will be as well to give some short account of the proceedings 

 of the Ramoossies and Kolies who occupied the fort of Poorundur 

 during the periodf the Peshwah, Bajee Row, remained in the Kon- 



* The disbursement of any considerable sums of money among these peo- 

 ple was always a source of great profit to the Brahmun accountants, &c., in 

 fact a most extensive system of speculation and embezzlement throughout all 

 the departments of the Mahrata Government, existed at the time alluded to, 

 — and little or no attempt was made to check it until the duties devolved on 

 the British Government. 



t Holkur's predatory army under its different chiefs, now spread itself all 

 over the country, advancing as far south as Bejapoor, levying heavy contribu- 

 tions, both in money and provisions, from every village and town. In larg^ 

 towns, the merchants, dealers in money, and wealthy persons, were alwayi 

 seized, and compelled to pay a large sum to ensure the place from being 

 burnt and plundered, or they were dragged about the country until they 

 entered into some engagements to make good the amount demanded. Se« 



