Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 6.djvu/123

 BHOOGTEES. (303)

HE Bhoogtees inhabit a tract of extremely hilly and difficult country without, that is west of, the British frontier, north of Shikarpoor in Sind, and west of Mithenkote in the Punjab. On the south their boundary is the British frontier, on the north the territory of the Ketranees, on the east that of the Goorchanees, and on the west that of the Murrees. The hills are stony and barren, but the valleys are numerous and fertile, being capable of irrigation from the streams which flow through them. Their range of hills is in fact the most southern portion of the Sooliman mountains. The principal town, Deyra, is a place of some size, having a bazar, and being surrounded by a mud wall. The residence of the chief is built over one of the gateways, a substantial building, and loopholed, but useless against artillery. The tribe is now independent. It may in former years have been dependent on Kabool or Kandahar, but has entirely freed itself from control, even from that of the Khan of Khelat, who at one time claimed sovereignty over it. The Bhoogtees, though much reduced of late years, can yet bring 1,000 men into the field, and they are at perpetual feud with their neighbours, especially the Murrees.

The connection of the British with the Bhoogtees began in 1839. The robber tribes of Kutchee, Doomkees, Jekranees, and others, had caused perpetual loss and annoyance to the British, and at last fled into the Bhoogtee territory, where they were protected. In order to show the robber tribes that mere difficulties of country could not save them, a force under Major Billamore followed the fugitives in October, 1839, and reached Deyra without opposition. The Bhoogtees were even friendly, till seeing the detachment was not supported, they conceived the idea of cutting it off. They, therefore, attacked Major Billamore with the whole strength of the tribe, but they were defeated in two bloody fights, suffering heavy loss, and their chief Beebruk was taken prisoner and sent into Sind.

This checked the Bhoogtees for a while, but when their sometimes rivals,