Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 10

_Dec_. _9th_.--Started for the Naga village, at some distance, and

_Dec_. _10th_.--Left for Kujoo or Khoonlong, which we reached about 1, after a march of five hours. At 10, we arrived at Dhoompsan or Thoompsa, a large village with extensive cultivation. The remainder of our march was through heavy jungle, many parts of which were very low, and crowded with a fierce Calamus. The higher parts abound in a Dipterocarpus, and two Castaneae. I found many fine ferns, all of which however we collected last year. Chrysobaphus, not uncommon. Apostasia rare.

_Dec_. _11th_.--Visited the tea in the old locality at Nigroo. No steps have been taken towards clearing the jungles, except perhaps of tea. The Gam tells me, that the order for clearing was given to Shroo, Dompshan, and k.u.mongyon, Gams of three villages near the spot. Noticed d.i.c.ksonia _en route_, so that we must have pa.s.sed it last year. AEsculus also occurs here.

_Dec_. _12th_.--Arrived at Kugoodoo after an easy march of two hours and a half. At 12, went to see the tea which lies to the S.S.W. of the village, and about ten minutes' walk to the W. of the path leading to Negrogam, and which for the most part runs along an old bund road. After diverging from this road we pa.s.sed through some low jungle, which is always characterised by Calamus Zalaccoideus; and then after traversing for a short time some rather higher ground, came on the tea. This patch is never under water; there is no peculiarity of vegetation connected with it. It runs about N. and S. for perhaps 150 yards by 40 to 50 in breadth. The Gam had cleared the jungle of all, except the larger trees and the low _herbaceous underwood_, so that a _coup d'oeil_ was at once obtained, and gave sufficient evidence of the abundance of the plants, many of which were of considerable size, and all bore evidence of having been mutilated. They were for the most part loaded with flowers, and are the finest I have seen in the Singfo country. Young buds were very common, nor can I reconcile this with the statement made by the Gam, that no young leaves will be obtainable for four months. From the clearing, the plants are exposed to moderate sun; it is perhaps to this that the great abundance of flowers is to be attributed. The soil, now quite dry at the surface, is of a cinereous grey; about a foot below it is brown, which pa.s.ses, as you proceed, into deeper yellow; about four feet deep, it pa.s.ses into sand. No ravines exist, and mounds only do about a few of the larger trees. The soil as usual is light, friable, easily reduced to powder, and has a very slight tendency to stiffness.

_Dec_. _13th_.--Left for the Muttack: our course lay through dense jungle, princ.i.p.ally of bamboo, and along the paths of wild elephants; these beasts are here very common. We halted after a march of seven hours on a small bank of the Deboro; the only plant of interest was my Cyananthus in flower.

_Dec_. _14th_.--Continued through similar jungle along the Deboro; bamboo more frequent. About 2 P.M. we left the undulating hillocks, and the jungle became more open. At 4, we reached Muttack, but had still to traverse a considerable distance before we halted at Kolea Panee. We crossed the Deboro _en route_; no particular plant was met with. I shot two large serpents, _Pythons_; one 8, and the other 10 feet long.

The Kolea Panee is of some width, but is fordable.

_Dec_. _15th_.--After marching for about seven hours, halted at a small village. The country pa.s.sed over was, like most of this part of Muttack, open, consisting of a rather high plain covered with gra.s.ses, T. sperata, Saccharum, and Erianthus, with here and there very swampy ravines; the soil is almost entirely sandy, light at the surface; the yellow tint increasing with the depth, which is considerable. Crossed the Deboro by a rude wooden bridge. I found no particular plants _en route_.

_Dec_. _16th_.--Reached Rangagurrah, after a march of about an hour: and halted for the day.

_Dec_. _18th_.--Started to visit Sedgwickia at the wood, where we found it in February last. Reached the spot, which is at least ten miles from Rangagurrah, in two hours and a half. The trees had evidently not flowered last year; many of the buds were of some size, and such contained flower buds, each capitula being in addition enveloped in three bracteae densely beset with brown hair. The natives a.s.sured me, it will flower about April, or at the sowing of _halee_. When we before found it, the buds were all leaf buds, which at once accounts for the non-appearance of flowers. Gathered Sabia in the Sedgwickia wood. The Major {53} arrived before I got back.

_Dec_. _20th_.--Revisited the tea locality of Tingrei, which we reached after a five hours' march. The portion of it formerly cleared is now quite clean: all the plants, and they are very abundant, have a shrubby shady appearance; the branches being numerous, so that the first aspect is favourable. But one soon detects an evident coa.r.s.eness in the leaves, the tint of which is likewise much too yellow; altogether their appearance is totally unlike that of teas growing in their natural shade.

That part, and the more extensive one which we first visited in February last, is now clearing; almost all the large trees have been felled, and all the underwood removed. The branches, etc. are piled in heaps and set fire to, much to the detriment of the plants: all the tea trees likewise have been felled. My conviction is, that the tea will not flourish in open suns.h.i.+ne; at any rate, subjection to this should be gradual.

Further, that cutting the main stem is detrimental, not only inducing long shoots, but most probably weakening the flavour of the leaves. It appears to me to be highly desirable, that an intelligent superintendent should reside on the spot, and that he should at least be a good practical gardener, with some knowledge of the science also.

_Dec_. _24th_.--Reached Suddiya. The country pa.s.sed through was, for the first two days, of the same description as before; i.e. rather high gra.s.sy plains with belts of jungle, and intervening low very swampy ravines. The soil precisely the same as that of the tea localities. The last march was, with the exception of Chykwar, through low damp dense jungle.

_Extract from the Author's letter to Captain F_. _Jenkins_, _Commissioner of a.s.sam_, _regarding the Mishmees_. _December_, _1836_. {54}

"I had thus become acquainted with all the influential chiefs near our frontier, and by all I was received in a friendly and hospitable manner.

In accordance with my original intentions, my attention was in the first place directed towards ascertaining whether the tea exists in this direction or not, and, as I have already informed you, I have every reason to think that the plant is unknown on these hills. From what I have seen of the tea on the plains, I am disposed to believe that the comparative want of soil, due to the great inclination of all the eminences, is an insuperable objection to its existence.

"As I before observed to you, during my stay at Jingsha, my curiosity had been excited by reports of an incursion of a considerable force of Lamas into the Mishmee country. It hence became, having once established a footing in the country, a matter of paramount importance to proceed farther into the interior, and, if possible, to effect a junction with these highly interesting people; but all my attempts to gain this point proved completely futile; no bribes, no promises would induce any of the chiefs to give me guides, even to the first Mishmee village belonging to the Mezhoo tribe. I was hence compelled to content myself for the present, with obtaining as much information as possible relative to the above report, and I at length succeeded in gaining the following certainly rather meagre account.

"The quarrel, as usual, originated about a marriage settlement between two chiefs of the Mezhoo and Taeen tribes: it soon ended in both parties coming to blows. The Mezhoo chief, ROOLING, to enable him at once to overpower his enemies, and to strike at once at the root of their power, called in the a.s.sistance of the Lamas. From this country a force of seventy men armed with matchlocks made an invasion, and, as was to be expected, the Taeen Mishmees were beaten at every point and lost about twenty men. The affair seems to have come to a close about September last, when the Lamas returned to their own country. Where it occurred I could gain no precise information, but it must have been several days'

journey in advance of the villages I visited.

"It was owing to the unsettled state of the country, resulting from this feud, that I could gain no guides from the Digaroos, without whose a.s.sistance in this most difficult country, I need scarcely say, that all attempts to advance would have been made in vain. These people very plausibly said, if we give you guides, who is to protect us from the vengeance of the Mezhoos when you are gone, and who is to insure us from a second invasion of the Lamas? Another thing to be considered is, the influence even then exercised over the Mishmees near our boundaries by the Singphos connected with the Dupha Gam; but from the renewal of the intercourse with our frontier station, there is every reason for believing that this influence is ere this nearly destroyed.

"The natives of this portion of the range are divided into two tribes, Taeen or Digaroo and Mezhoo, these last tracing their descent from the _Dibong_ Mishmees, who are always known by the term crop-haired. The Mezhoo, however, like the Taeens, preserve their hair, wearing it generally tied in a knot on the crown of their head. The appearance of both tribes is the same, but the language of the Mezhoos is very distinct. They are perhaps the more powerful of the two; but their most influential chiefs reside at a considerable distance from the lower ranges. The only Mezhoos I met with are those at _Deeling-Yen_, a small village opposite _Deeling_, but at a much higher elevation, and _Tapan_. I need scarcely add that it was owing to the opposition of this tribe that Captain WILc.o.x failed in reaching _Lama_. The Digaroos are ruled by three influential chiefs, who are brothers DRISONG, KHOSHA, and GHALOOM: of these, DRISONG is the eldest and the most powerful, but he resides far in the interior. PRIMSONG is from a distant stock, and as the three brothers mentioned above are all pa.s.sed the prime of life, there is but little doubt that he will soon become by far the most influential chief of his tribe. Both tribes appear to intermarry. The Mishmees are a small, active, hardy race, with the Tartar cast of features; they are excessively dirty, and have not the reputation of being honest, although, so far as I know, they are belied in this respect. Like other hill people, they are famous for the muscular development of their legs:--in this last point the women have generally the inferiority. They have no written language. Their clothing is inferior; it is, however, made of cotton, and is of their own manufacture;--that of the men consists of a mere jacket and an apology for a _dhoti_,--that of the women is more copious, and at any rate quite decent: they are very fond of ornaments, especially beads, the quant.i.ties of which they wear is very often quite astonis.h.i.+ng. They appear to me certainly superior to the Abors, of whom, however, I have seen but few.

Both s.e.xes drink liquor, but they did not seem to me to be so addicted to it as is generally the case with hill tribes:--their usual drink is a fermented liquor made from rice called _mont'h_: this, however, is far inferior to that of the Singphos, which is really a pleasant drink.

"_Religion_. Of their religion I could get no satisfactory information--every thing is ascribed to supernatural agency. Their invocations to their deity are frequent, and seem generally to be made with the view of filling their own stomachs with animal food. They live in a very promiscuous manner, one hundred being occasionally accommodated in a single house. Their laws appear to be simple,--all grave crimes being judged by an a.s.sembly of Gams, who are on such occasions summoned from considerable distances. All crimes, including murder, are punished by fines: but if the amount is not forthcoming, the offender is cut up by the company a.s.sembled. But the crime of adultery, provided it be committed against the consent of the husband, is punished by death; and this severity may perhaps be necessary if we take into account the way in which they live.

"The men always go armed with knives, Lama swords, or Singpho _dhaos_ and lances; and most of them carry cross-bows--the arrows for these are short, made of bamboo, and on all serious occasions are invariably poisoned with _bee_. When on fighting expeditions, they use s.h.i.+elds, made of leather, which are covered towards the centre with the quills of the porcupine. Their lances are made use of only for thrusting: the shafts are made either from the wood of the lawn (_Caryota urens_) or that of another species of palm _juice_--they are tipped with an iron spike, and are of great use in the ascent of hills. The lance heads are of their own manufacture, and of very soft iron. They have latterly become acquainted with fire-arms, and the chiefs have mostly each a firelock of _Lama_ construction.

"With _Lama_ they carry on an annual trade, which apparently takes place on the borders of either country. In this case _mishmee-teeta_, is the staple article of the Mishmees, and for it they obtain _dhaos_ or straight long swords of excellent metal and often of great length; copper pots of strong, but rough make, flints and steel, or rather steel alone, which are really very neat and good; warm woollen caps, coa.r.s.e loose parti-colored woollen cloths, huge gla.s.s beads, generally white or blue, various kinds of cattle, in which _Lama_ is represented as abounding, and salts. I cannot say whether the Lamas furnish flints with the steel implements for striking light; the stone generally used for this purpose by the Mishmees is the nodular production from _Thumathaya_,--and this, although rather frangible, answers its purpose very well; with the Singphos they barter elephants' teeth, (these animals being found in the lower ranges,) for slaves, dhaws, and buffaloes.

"With the Khamtees they appear to have little trade, although there is a route to the proper country of this people along the _Ghaloom panee_, or _Ghaloom Thee_ of WILc.o.x'S chart; this route is from the great height of the hills to be crossed, only available during the hot months.

"With the inhabitants of the plains they carry on an annual trade, which is now renewed after an interruption of two years, exchanging cloths, Lama swords, spears, _mishmee-teeta_, _bee_, which is in very great request, and _gertheana_, much esteemed by the natives for its peculiar and rather pleasant smell, for money, (to which they begin to attach great value), cloths, salt and beads: when a sufficient sum of money is procured, they lay it out in buffaloes and the country cattle."

The following is a list of collections of Plants from the Mishmee Hills to the extreme East, Upper a.s.sam.

_Dicotyledones_. _Dicotyledones_.

(Ligulatae, 9) Ericineae, 7 Composi- (Cynaraceae, 4) 89 Verbenaceae, 8 tae, (Corymbiferae,76) Boragineae, 2

l.a.b.i.atae, 50 Valerianeae, 1 Gesneriaceae, 22 Dipsaceae, 1 Acanthaceae, 38 Caprifoliaceae, 6 Scrophularineae, 19 Rubiaceae, 42 Solaneae, 6

Apocyneae, ) 5 Convolvulaceae, 8 Asclepiadeae, ) Primulaceae, 1

Gentianeae, 7 Myrsineae, 19 Oleinae, 2 Escalloniaceae? 3 Jasmineae, 6 Malvaceae, 6 Campanulaceae, 7 Cruciferae, 3 Lobeliaceae, 7 Polygaleae, 1 Vacciniaceae, 2 Violaceae, 5 Pa.s.sifloreae, 1 Begoniaceae, 6 Modeccoideae, 1 Umbelliferae, 4 Samydeae, 1 Araliaceae, 12 Ampelideae, Leea, 6 Rhamneae, 1 Balsamineae, 15 Celastrineae, 9 Sileneae, 6 Amaranthaceae, 8 Aurantiaceae, 5 Polygoneae, 12 Meliaceae, 5 Chenopodeae, 1 Sapindaceae, 3 Plantagineae, 1 Acerineae, 4 Urticeae, 14 Malpighiaceae, 3 Ulmaceae, 1 Hypericineae, 2 Euphorbiaceae, 21 Ternstroemiaceae, 11 Scepaceae, 1 Symplocineae, 3 Stilagineae, 5 Ebenaceae, 1 Myriceae, 1

(Rhus, 5) Juglandeae, 1 Terebin- (Buchanania, 1) Cupuliferae, 4 thaceae, (Phlebochiton, 1) 9 Betulaceae, 5 (Sabia, 2) Salicineae, 1

Zanthoxyleae, 5 Laurineae, 8 Conareae, 1 Hamamelideae, 2 Trygophylleae, 1 Thymeleae, 1 Rutaceae, 2 Santalaceae, 1 Ranunculaceae, 4 Loranthaceae, 2 Fumariaceae, 2 Proteaceae, 1 Myristiceae, 2 Elaeagneae, 1 Anonaceae, 4 Aristolochiae, 3 Magnoliaceae, 1 Combretaceae, 2 Berberideae, 1 Chlorantheae, 1 Lardizabaleae, 1 Piperaceae, 14 Menispermeae, 5 Coniferae, 1 Rosaceae, 16 Incertae, 17 Leguminosae, 31 Unarranged, 8 Philadelpheae, 2 Ditto, 14 Saxifrageae, 3 --- Melastomaceae, 9 725 Onagrariae, 3 --- Myrtaceae, 2 Cucurbitaceae, 6 _Monocotyledones_ _Acotyledones_

Smilacineae, 14 Dioscoreae, 1 Pteris, 21 Peliosantheae, 5 Blechnum, 1 Tupistraceae, 2 d.i.c.ksonia, 1 Commelineae, 10 Davallia, 12 Tacceae, 1 Lindsaea, 2 Aroideae, 6 Asplenium 27 Scitamineae, 6 Allantodioides, 6 Orchideae, 43 Aspidium, 22 Apostaceae, 1 Nephrodium, 16 Palmae, 3 Cyatheae, 7 Cyperaceae, 22 Trichomanes, 4 Gramineae, 73 Hymenophyllum, 2 --- Gleichenia, 1 187 Angiopteris, 1 --- Botrychium, 1 _Acotyledones_ LyG.o.dium, 2 Lycopodium, 6 Acrostichum, 12 Tinesipteris 1 Ceterach, 2 Equisetum, 1 Grammitis, 3 --- Polypodium, 56 224 Pleopeltis, 8 Monocotyledones,187 Niphobolus, 1 Dicotyledones, 725 Cheilanthes, 3 Mosses unarranged, about 50 Adiantum, 3 ---- Vittaria, 1 Total, 1186 Lomaria, 1 ----

N.B.--The plants enumerated above, were transmitted to the India House in 1838, together with former collections made _in the Tena.s.serim_ Provinces.

CHAPTER IV.

_Journey from Upper a.s.sam towards Hookhoom_, _Ava_, _and_ _Rangoon_, _Lat_. _27 degrees 25' to 16 degrees 45' N_., _Long_. _96 degrees to 96 degrees 20' E_.

We left Suddiya on the 7th of February 1837, and reached Kedding on the 10th; stayed there one day, and reached Kamroop Putar, where I found Major White and Lieut. Bigge on the 12th. The jungle to this place was similar to the usual jungle of the Singpho country, very generally low, and intersected by ravines. We crossed _en route_ the Karam river, the Noa Dihing, or Dihing branch of the Booree Dihing, on which the Beesa's old village was situated; and lastly the Kamroop. Kamroop Putar is close to the Naga hills; it is a cultivated rice tract, on the river Kamroop.

This river is fordable, with frequent rapids. The only curious things about it are the petroleum wells, which are confined to three situations.

The wells are most numerous towards the summits of the range; and the place where they occur is free from shrubs. The petroleum is of all colours, from green to bluish white; this last is the strongest, partaking of the character of Naphtha, it looks like bluish or greyish clay and water. The vegetation of the open places in which the wells are found, consists of gra.s.s, Stellaria, Hyperic.u.m, Polygonum, Cyperaceae, Mazus rugosus, Plantago media, etc., all of which are found on the plains. One of the wells is found on the Putar, or cultivated ground; the petroleum in this is grey. The Kamroop river above this Putar, strikes off to the eastward, and the Kamteechick, a tributary, falls into it from the south; this last is a good deal the smaller; the banks of the Kamroop are in many places precipitous. About two miles from the Putar, a fine seam of excellent coal has been exposed by a slip: {60} the beds are at an inclination of 45 degrees, and their direction is, I think, nearly the same with that of the left bank of the river in which they occur; immediately over the seam there is a small ravine, where three of the veins are still farther exposed. Caricea, a new Dicranum, Alsophila ferruginea, Polytrichum aloides, Bartramea subulosa, and Jungermanniae are common near this spot.

Left Kamroop on the 19th, and proceeded in a S.W. direction for twelve miles, when we halted on the Darap Kha, at the foot of the Naga hills, opposite nearly to Beesala. Nothing of interest occurred.

_Feb_. _21st_.--Commenced the ascent, and after marching about ten miles, halted in a valley near a stream. Temperature 66 degrees. Water boiled at 210.5 degrees, giving an alt.i.tude of about 77 degrees, or 383 feet above Suddiya. The road was very winding, the path good, except towards the base of the hills: the soil sandy, in places indurated, and resting on sandstone; but there is not yet sufficient elevation to ensure much change in vegetation. Found Kaulfussia {61a} below in abundance, observed Castanea and a Quercus; three species of Begonia, and three or four species of Acanthacea. In other respects the jungle resembles that of the Singpho territory. d.i.c.ksonia is abundant. Dipterocarpus of large size occurs. Caught two innocuous snakes at the halting place. {61b}

_Feb_. _22nd_.--The distance of the march is about 12 miles, and we halted after crossing the Darap Panee; some parts of the route were difficult, at least for elephants. No particular features of vegetation yet appears. The summit of the higher hills looks pretty. Tree jungle considerable, open places with low gra.s.s, is the surrounding feature of vegetation. The hill first surmounted from the halting place is covered with a Camellia or _Bunfullup_, (i.e. bitter tea) of the a.s.samese. The fruit has loculicidal dehiscence. In habit it is like that of the tea, but the buds are covered with imbricate scales. At the summit of the hill, it attained a height of 30 or 40 feet. Begoniacea, Urticaceae, Acanthaceae, Filices, are the most common.

_Feb_. _23rd_.--Halted to enable the elephants to come up; they arrived about 10 A.M. Temperature of the air 75 degrees, water boiled at 210 degrees, alt.i.tude 1029 feet. The Darap is a considerable stream, but is fordable at the heads of the rapids. Fish abound, especially _Bookhar_, a kind of Barbel, {61c} which reaches a good size. Clay slate appears to be here the most common rock, and forms in many places the very precipitous banks of the river. Alsophila ferruginea, Areca, Calami, Fici., Pentaptera, Laurineae, Myristiceae continue. Kaulfussia a.s.samica, is common along the lower base of the hills.

_Feb_. _23rd_.--Started at 7, and after a march of five hours, reached the halting place on the Kamtee-chick, some distance above the place at which we descended to its bed. Distance 12 miles, direction S.S.E.; crossed one hill of considerable elevation, certainly 1000 feet above the halting place, which we find by the temperature of boiling water to be 1413 feet above the sea. The tops of these hills continue comparatively open, and have a very pretty appearance. The trees, however, have not a.s.sumed a northern character; their trunks are covered with epiphytes.

The Kamtee-chick is a small stream fordable at the rapids, the extreme banks are not more than 30 or 40 yards. No peculiarity of vegetation as yet occurs; the fruit of a Quercus continues common, as well as that of Castanea ferox. I met with that of a Magnolia; Tree ferns, Calami, Musa, Areca, and the usual sub-tropical trees continue; Acanthaceae are most common, Gordonea plentiful on the open places on the hills, Sauraufa two species, Byttneria, etc. etc. Altogether, I am disappointed in the vegetation, which, although rich, is not varied. Wallichia continues common. A Begonia with pointed leaves, and a Smilacineous plant are the most interesting, and a large Quercoid Polypodium, the lacineae of which are deciduous; and these I found in abundance on the Mishmee hills, although I did not succeed in getting an entire frond.

_Feb_. _24th_.--Marched about ten miles all the way up the bed of the Kamtee-chick, now a complete mountain stream, the general direction being S.S.E. Traversed in places heavy jungle, but for the most part we ascended the bed of the river. The only very interesting plant was Podostemon, apparently Griffithianum, which covers the rocks on the bed of the river. The usual plants continue, viz. Scitamineae, Phrynium capitatum, Tradescantia, Paederia and Isophylla, Pothos 2 or 3 species, Ixora 2, Leea, which occasionally becomes arborescent. Cissus 3 or 4, Panax ditto, Pierardia sapida, Elaeocarpus, Smilax, Areca, Calami 2 or 3, Asplenium nidus, Fici several, Pentaptera, Cupuliferae, the latter rare; Bauheniae 2, Acanthaceae, one of which attains the size of a large shrub, Guttiferae 2, Phlebochiton, Rottlera, Millingtonia simplicifolia, Inga, Wallichia, Pentaptera, Malvacea, and Acanthacea convallariae flore. I observed Panda.n.u.s to be common, (one Sterculia was yesterday observed).

Equisetae 2, the larger being the plant of the plains. Erythrina, Lagerstraemia grandiflora. Chondospermum, Polypodium, Acrostichoides ferrugineum, and the fruit of Cedrela Toona, Megala. Choranthus was not seen.

_Feb_. _25th_.--Proceeded about 100 yards up the Kamchick, then crossed the Tukkaka, and commenced the ascent of a high hill, certainly 1000 feet above the elevation of our last halting place on the Kamchick: the lower portion is covered with tree jungle, the upper portion of the mountain is open, covered with a tall Saccharum and an Andropogon, among which are mixed several Compositae, and an Ajuga. Among the gra.s.s, occur trees scattered here and there, chiefly of a Gordonia. From the summit we had a pretty view of the Kamchick valley, closed in to the S.W. by a high and distant wall, being part of the Patkaye range. All the hills have the same features, but it is odd that their highest points are thickly clothed with tree jungle. Observed Kydia, Alstonia, _Eurya_, Triumfetta, Celtis, Engelhardtia, Rhus, Rottlera, Loranthus, Callicarpa and d.i.c.ksonia all at a high elevation, but this latter is scarce. No pines visible.