1837.] 



An Account of the Tribe of Mhadeo Kolies, 



277 



As troops employed to suppress a disturbance in a hilly and jungly 

 country, can seldom or never accomplish in a successful manner the 

 duty they may be detached upon, unless they obtain the cordial co-ope- 

 ration of a portion of the inhabitants of the district, several smart and 

 intelligent men of the police corps had been previously instructed to 

 exert their best endeavours to gradually conciliate some of the Kolies, 

 and to obtain from them the information we were so much in want of. 

 These men had been frequently employed on similar duty and succeeded 

 extremely well in the present instance. 



Information on the following points was communicated to government. 

 The number of the insurgents ; the wish and hope of the population of 

 the hilly tract that they might succeed in their object (obtaining service 

 and additional pay from government) ; the strong nature of the country, 

 and the very great advantage of acting promptly and with decision, at 

 the same time employing an adequate and overwhelming body of troops. 

 In the mean time little notice was taken of the Bund (the insurgents), a 

 detachment having been merely advanced towards them for the purpose 

 of gaining information, but with strict injunctions not to molest the 

 Kolies, and not to mind any threatening messages sent by them. A 

 proclamation was sent to the leaders of the Bund, telling them to dis- 

 perse their followers and to present a petition to government respecting 

 any grievances they had to complain of ; but that no letters or petitions 

 from them would be attended to while they continued in arms. 



The names of nearly alj the persons composing the Bund were now 

 ascertained, ajso that of the relatives and friends of the chiefs and other 

 Koly Naiks, and of the villages where they resided. The names of 

 such persons, male and female, as were likely to assist the Bund with 

 supplies, and communicate intelligence respecting the movement of the 

 troops, were noted down ; also a description of the most noted hiding 

 places, and of the footpaths leading over the different ranges of hills ; 

 with an account of the spots where water was procurable, in ravines or 

 beds of nullahs, and on the tops of hills. The detachment from Bhewn- 

 dy was stationed at the bottom of the passes leading into the Konkan, 

 and the other detachments that arrived from Mallygown, Ahmudnuggur 

 and Poona, were posted in the situations considered most desirable for 

 them to occupy, while lightly equipped parties were selected to be 

 employed in constantly searching the haunts and lurking places of the 

 Kolies. 



The insurgents, a few days previous to the arrival of the troops, had 

 begun to levy contributions from the inhabitants ; they also plundered 

 at different times three small villages ; but all these irregular proceedings 

 were soon put a stop to, and it became necessary for them to separate 

 into small parties. The few Bheels that had joined them returned to 

 their homes, and many of the Kolies fled to a distance ; therefore, to 

 ensure the capture of the chiefs and those that remained with them, 



