The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-20 00:00:00

ROBBERS IN INDIA.

Various classes of robbers, under the designations of Thugs,
Dakoits, Choars, Kuzzaks, and Budhukes, infest the entire
country. The first and the last would appear to be identical, be
ing sets of villains distinguished by their practice of strangling
unsuspecting travellers with whom they may contrivet
fall in upon a journey; they are sometimes formed into secret
societies, not dissimilar from some of those in the middle
ages : and it was vainly hoped that Lord William Bentinck
had utterly extirpated them. The Kuzzaks are mounted rob-
bers, who singly beset the highroads, or, being collected into
parties, attack and plunder entire villages : in other words, they
are Turpins, or Robin Hoods, or Rob Roys, as occasion may re-
quire. The Dakoits and Choarsi are more like the early com-
panions of Gil Blas—thieves who naturally and constitu-
tionally assemble in gangs, and who usually limit their de-
predations to the houses or persons of those reputed to pos-
sess valuables or money in concealed hoards. These were
once the most formidable, being thoroughly organised under
sirdars, or lenders: they commonly meet for their lawless
procedures under cover of the night, being by day, to all ap
pearance, among the most peaceable and quiet members of
onurterodfs,theleubgsro, pikes,and,
coat
imnaatctho:
fifteen to fifty: The spot will be
the community. Their grand characteristic, wherever they
subsist, still continues to be that of Dan—" an adder in the
path." They have watchwords and secret signals. Com-
panies,
will variouslyow
some tope or grove
adjacent to the desired spoil. The fol-
lowing is a midnight picture of what these worthies were
some thirty years ago, as also of what they too often are
now:—" When collected, their 'marauding excursion was
preluded by a religious ceremony the worship of the goddess
Durga—the patroness of thieves, typified by a water pot,
arasmietdwwerlet,h
where, in numbers from
or a few blades of grass. The ceremony was conducted by a
Brahmin of degraded condition and dissolute life. Having
propitiated the goddess by the promise of a portion ot.
their :spoil, they marched with lighted torches, and little
attempt at concealment, beyond disguising their faces by
pigment, or covering them with masks, to the object of
their expedition, usually the dwelling of some shopkeeper
or money-changer, in which it was expected to discover
treasure. Occasionally the motive of the attack was ven-
geance; and information given by the householder, or any
member of his family, against some member of the gang,
brought upon him the resentment of the whole fraternity.
Upon entering the village, it was customary to fire a gun as
a signal for the inhabitants to keep within their dwellings;
the house against which the operation was designed was
then surrounded; and whilst some of the gang forced an
entrance, others remained as a guard without. Unless ex-
asperated by resistance, or stimulated by revenge, the Da-
koits did not commonly proceed to murder; but they
perpetrated atrocious cruelties upon such persons as re-
fused to give them, or were unable to give them, information
regarding property which they suspected of having been con-
cealed; burning them with lighted torches or blazing straw,
or wrapping cloth or flax steeped in oil around their limbs.,
and setting it on fire; or inflicting various tortures which
caused immediate or speedy death. Theobject being accom-
plished, and the booty secured, the gang retired before day-
light, and the guilty individuals resumed their daily occupa-
tions." In Bengal alone, six hundred and ninety such atro-
cities disgraced a single year.—Eclectic Review for July.

Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-office
from the Governor of the West India:Colonies, and also from
the Governor of the North American Provinces.