The Wilmingtonian., 1824-03-11
DExTERoUs THTEvING.


The following scene is laid at seringapettah, a
village not far from Trtchinopaly, celebrated for
the dex,erity of its thieves -" Some years ago,
a detachment of the kings artillery, intending
to halt there for the night, was advised of this
propensity of the natives, and recommended to
be we'll on their guard against it. The two Off
GERS in charge of the detachment, as well as the
men, ridcued and scorned the idea ofthese poor
wretches, (sucb they seemed to be,) being able
TO rob the Kings artillery, but took the prscau.
lion Of placing sentries over all the tents, and a
double one at that of the quarter guard. with or
ders, rendered unnecessary by the awakened pride
of the senries themselves, to be more than usually
watchful The inhabitants, through the means OF
the native servants, heard that their skill in thev
ing was set at nought, and their vanity was pro-
portionably pqued. Next morning tile officers,
rising early, missed nothing, and began to exult
lin their security, when one of the seargents AT
rived, with shame and dismay pictured on his
and informed them, that the whole
of the arms belonging to the main guard were
missing, and that all the natives had abandoned
the village. Every search. though undertaken
Instantly, was in vain, and the detachment was
compelled to march away unarmed, and fully a.
ware of the reception they would be likely tn
meet with from their corps, when their disaster
became known.
"The manner in which this dexterous theft was
achieved, long remained unknown; but many
years afterwards, when the circumstance was AL
most forgotten, the villagers themselves volunta.
rily surrendered the arms to the authorities OF
the country, and declared they had taken them
because their skill in thieving had been called in
Question; and observed, in confirmation OF this,
that they had not taken single article, with the
exception of the arms which they now restored
Reing asked how they contrved to steal them
from the centre of tent, the guard sleeping round
them, and two centuries outside; they gave the
following account Several Of them stripped them
selves naked, and oiled their bodies over, that il
caught, they might not be easily held; they Their
approached that part of thetent where the sentr,
lin the rear was posted, who, as usual, was walk
ling about twenty PAGES backwards and forwards
lThe night was dark, and the most bold and dex
ferrous among them advanced obliquely toward
the tent, creeping on his belly, lying still whil'
the sentry was pacing towards him, and only NOV
ing on slowly and cautiously. when his back wa,
turned In this way he arrived al the tent, a,'o
Ibis black body was in the dark, invisible to tns
sentry. He now, with the utmost adroitness' INT
ed up part of the side Of the tent, having care
fully removed one peg, and soon found that OIL .he
guard were asleep, relying on their oouo'c sen
tries. BY this time the other villagers nAu 10.
lowed their leader, and were all lying IN tue
same posture, with the head OF each touching me
fleet of the one who had preceded him. In this
.lway the arms, being slowly removed without the
[sght-st noise by the most advanced thisf, were