264 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies. 



[April 



apprehending Baumlay. When Rajah Sawunt reached Joonere and 

 commenced*, operations against Jowjee, tl\e latter retired to some dis- 

 tance, and he then informed his followers that the most prudent plan 

 would be for them to disperse while Sawunt could employ so many 

 men in pursuit of them. They consequently separated for the time, and 

 Jowjee retained twelve of his most active, tried, and confidential friends 

 with him. With these he secretly resolved on striking a deadly blow 

 at Rajah Sawunt. He got his friends and emissaries to spread such 

 reports through the country as suited his purpose. One day it was ru- 

 moured he had been seen with a large body of followers ; another day 

 that he had gone to a distance to escape the enmity of the Sawunt ; 

 and, on another occasion, it was said that Jowjee's spirit was broken^ 

 and that he was going about asking for protection from any friend that 

 would grant him an asylum. Rajah Sawunt divided his force into seve- 

 ral detachments, and they frequently scoured the jungles that were 

 Jowjee's usual haunts. On these occasions they adopted for some time 

 every customary precaution to prevent surprise at night. Rajah 

 Sawunt was encamped on the Ombygown Puthar, and by all accounts 

 his sentries were very vigilant ; notwithstanding this, Jowjee had the 

 ground reconnoitred, and ascertained the spot Sawunt occupied, and at 

 midnight he advanced to the place where he slept and instantly secured 

 him. The troops were panic-struck and hid themselves among the 

 bushes and in ravines. Although Rajah Sawunt had no reason to hope 

 for pity or sympathy from his enemy, yet the spirit of parental love 

 roused him in his distressed situation to beg and imptore of him to 

 spare his son's life, as he was a boy only twelve years old. The terri- 

 fied lad had concealed himself in a bush, but Jowjee spared the life of 

 neither. Both were put to death, with several of Sawunt's. men who 

 came in the dark to his assistance. The first intimation Sawunt's family 

 had of this distressing adventure, was the following day, by the arrival 

 of Rajah Sawunt's fine grey mare, which came galloping home 

 covered with blood and without her tail. Baumlay, much delighted with 

 his success, retreated to the fastnesses of the Hurrychunder hill fort, 

 This exploit raised him much in the estimation of the Kolies, 



After Rajah Sawunt was killed, his eldest son went to Poona to urge 

 government to carry on more vigorous measures for the apprehension 

 of Jowjee Baumlay, and to suppress the disturbances among the Kolies. 

 To prove how desirous the court at Poona was to punish the rebels, 

 young Sawunt had the rank of soobahdar conferred on him, and he was 

 placed in charge of the Joonere district. He proceeded with reinforce- 

 ments to take charge of his office, but the accounts of his sudden eleva- 

 tion excited the envy of some of his kinsmen. One of his cousins 

 could not control himself on the occasion, and preferred joining J i 

 lay to acting a subordinate part under his relative. This man com- 



