Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 12

pooter occurs, together with Hyperic.u.m, Gnaphalium, Poa and Carex.

From the frequent occurrence of these Putars, I should say that the capabilities of the country, at least the latter half of our march, improves as far as regards _halee_ cultivation.

Throughout the march nothing occurred to shew that this part of the valley is inhabited. We pa.s.sed, however, an old and extensive burying ground of the Singphos. Of the Putars only small portions were cultivated, and the crops did not appear to be very good.

Nempean, which is a stockaded village, is about a quarter of a mile from the encampment of the Meewoon, and about S.E., and within 200 yards to the N.N.E. is a similar stockaded village called Tubone. Both these villages are on the right bank of the Namturoon, which is a large stream, as big nearly as the Noa Dihing at Beesa. B. measured it, and finds its extreme bed to be 270 yards broad. The volume of water is considerable, the rapids are moderate; it is navigable for largish canoes. On this bank, _i.e_. right, there is an extensive plain running nearly N. and S.; no part of it seems to be cultivated. The scenery is precisely the same as that of Upper a.s.sam, viz. open, flat, intersected by belts of jungle. With the exception of the W. and the points between this and south, hills are visible, some of considerable height. To the S.E. there is a fine peak, which reminds one much of the Mishmee peak, so remarkable at Suddiya. It is in this direction that the hills are highest.

No tea is reported to exist here. B. met with it on his road hither, and shewed me the specimen; there is no difference between this and the a.s.sam specimens in appearance, neither are the leaves at all smaller. As a new route has been cut out I cannot visit it, but shall wait until I arrive at Meinkhoom.

The Chykwar Mulberry occurs, and to a larger size than I have seen it in a.s.sam. The Singphos, however, as they have no silkworms, do not make use of it; I have seen some little cultivation on the Tooroon belonging to Bon: Kanee or Opium formed portion of it.

Thermometer in shade at 2 P.M. 85 degrees.

_March 21st_.--7 A.M. Thermometer 60 degrees. Yesterday at 2 P.M. 86 degrees! under a decently covered shed.

Boiled water at 209.5 Fahr. Thermometer 70 degrees, which gives 1399 feet of elevation.

Started at 9, and arrived at Kidding on the Saxsai, a small stream which now falls into the Tooroon. Distance about four miles and a half from Nempean: general direction about S.S.E. The road runs along the Tooroon S., and a little to the W. of S.; it then diverges up the Saxsai, which runs nearly W. and E. Near the mouth of the Saxsai, and about 400 yards above, there is another small stream, the Jinnip Kha. Both these are on the left bank of the river. On the opposite side, and about a quarter of a mile, is a village, which like all the rest is stockaded. Kidding is larger than either Tubone or Nempean; it is on the left bank of the Saxsai. Rapids are common in the Tooroon, but are not of any severity.

The vegetation remains in a remarkable degree similar to that of a.s.sam.

The Lohit Campanula is very common in the stony beds of either river.

Brahminy Ducks seen at Nempean, and the ravenous Geese of Kamroop Putar.

Fished in the Tooroon, and had excellent sport, killing in the afternoon twenty fishes, average weight half pound; some weighing nearly two pounds. Three species occurred, and all were taken with flies; the smallest are a good deal like the _Boal_ of a.s.sam. The large-mouthed, trout-like Cyprinida {74a} occurs, and to a larger size than in the Noa Dihing. The third is the _Chikrum_ of the Singphos; it is a thick, very powerful fish, a good deal resembling the Roach: one of two pounds, measures about a foot in length. Outline ovate lanceolate, head small, mouth with four filaments; eyes very large, fins reddish, first ray of the dorsal large spinous. It affects deep water, particularly at the edges of the streams running into such places. {74b} It takes a fly greedily even in quite still water; but as it has a small mouth, the smaller the flies the better. Black hackle is better for it than small grey midges. On being hooked it rushes off with violence, frequently leaping out of the water. It is a much more game fish than the Bookhar: the largest I took with flies; with worms I took only one small one. With regard to the Bookhar, it is strange if it is not found in the streams running through this valley, as in the Kammaroan it occurs in abundance.

Black and white Kingfisher, _Alcedo rudis_, Snippets, Curlews of the B.

pooter, with chesnutish back occur in the valley, together with Toucans: and Ravens occur as in a.s.sam.

At the village of Kidding there are silkworms fed.

_March 22nd_.--Started at 6 P.M., reached Sh.e.l.ling khet on the p.r.o.ng p.r.o.ngkha in about two hours; it is distant about seven miles. The village is now deserted. The nullah is small, with a very slow stream; direction from Kidding nearly S.E. It was at this place that Bayfield got his specimen of tea, but on enquiry we found that it was brought from some distance; it is said to grow on a low range of hills. We started after breakfast, and reached Culleyang, on the same nullah, about 12 o'clock. Total distance thirteen miles; direction S.S.E. Path very winding. The country traversed is much less open than that of Nempean, but few Putars occurred; and the whole tract is covered either with tree or Megala jungle. Water boiled at Sh.e.l.ling khet at 209.5 Fahr. Temp. of the air 68.5 degrees. Elevation 1340 feet. Noticed but very little clearing for cultivation, neither did the Putars appear to have been lately under cultivation.

Culleyang is a village containing about eight houses; it is not stockaded, and has the usual slovenly appearance of Singpho villages. The natives keep silkworms, which they feed on the Chykwar or a.s.sam morus, which they cultivate. I noticed likewise Kanee, or Opium, and Urtica nivea, which they use for nets; Acanthaceae, Indigofera, and Peach trees.

Close to the village are the burying places of two Singphos. These have the usual structure of the cemeteries of the tribe, the graves being covered by a high conical thatched roof. I find from Bayfield, that they first dry their dead, preserving them in odd shaped coffins, until the drying process is completed. They then burn the body, afterwards collecting the ashes, which are finally deposited in the mounds over which the conical sheds are erected. Between the village and the graves I saw one of these coffins which, if it contained a full-grown man, must have admitted the remains in a mutilated shape; and close to this were the bones of a corpse lately burnt.

To-day I shot the beautiful yellow and black crested Bird we first saw on the Cossiya hills, _Parus Sultaneus_, and two handsome Birds, _Orioles_, or _Pastor Traillii_, quite new to me, blackish and bright crimson, probably allied to the Shrikes.

Of fishes, Cyprinus falcata, or _Nepoora_ of the a.s.samese, together with the Sentooree {75} of the a.s.samese, both occur. Of plants, we noticed Stauntonia, Vitis, Cissampelos, Butomus pygmaeus, d.i.c.ksonia, Hedychia 2, Croton Malvaefolium of Suddiya, Xanthium indic.u.m; Cheilosandra ferruginea, Pothos scandens decursiva, etc., Liriodendrum, Kydia. Ficus elastica? Asplenium nidus, Conyza graveolens, south of the old clearings. Lemna, Valisneria, Azolla, AEsculus asamicus in abundance.

Limes in profusion near Culleyang; Paederia faetida and the other species, Naravelia, Hiraea, Phrynium dichotomum, Gaertnera, and Carallia lucida. New plants, Ophioglossum, Carex, Gnetum sp. nov. Choripetalum, and two _incerta_. Noticed Pladera justicioides during the first part of the march, and the small Squirrel of Kujoodoo.

Six A.M. Temperature 58.5. Water boiled at 210 degrees Fahr. 8 P.M.

Temperature of the air 66. Alt.i.tude 1064 feet.

_March 23rd_.--Started at 6 A.M. and reached Lamoom about 8, where we breakfasted. Reached Tsilone, the Dupha's village, at noon. General direction S.W. Distance about ten miles. Lamoom is a small _un_stockaded village on the Moneekha. Tsilone is a moderate sized Singpho village on the right bank of the Nam Tunail. The river is of considerable size, with scarcely any rapids: stream slow. The village is situated on a rather high bank.

The country continues the same, perhaps a little more open, at least Putars are of frequent occurrence, although they are all narrow. Observed Cryptolepis, Celastrus _leguminoideus_ Cuscuta Uncaria racemis pendulis.

Of birds the smaller Maina, common house Sparrow, blue Jay, and the larger grey Tern occur. We halted on a sandbank about one mile and a half higher up to the south of Tsilone. New plants, the Campanula of Chykwar, ditto Lysimachia, Dopatrium, Jasminum, Rhamnea, Pothos, Lasia, Riccia, etc.

_March 24th_.--Thermometer 58 degrees. Boiling point 210. Alt.i.tude 1064 feet. After a long and hot march of seven hours we reached Meinkhoon; general direction -- distance 17 miles. During the first two hours we marched along the bed and banks of the Nam Tenai, subsequently over gra.s.sy plains intersected by belts of jungle. Country much more open than that we saw yesterday. To the W. low ranges of hills, about one-third of a mile distant, occurred throughout the day. We pa.s.sed two or three small nullahs, in one of which I observed lumps of lignite.

The Nam Tenai continued a large river, extreme breadth varying from 250 to 350 yards. We crossed at once, about half a mile from our encampment, deepest part of the ford four feet; its banks are either thickly wooded or covered with Kagara jungle. The day's march was very uninteresting. I observed a few Mango trees, a Mucuna, Laurineae are common, as well as a Wendlandia in open gra.s.sy places. Sagittariae sp. was the only novelty.

Noticed the Hoopoe bird, _Upapa Capensis_.

[Meinkhoom: p76.jpg]

_March 25th_.--Meinkhoon is situated on a very small nullah, the Eedeekha. The village which is large and well stockaded, is divided into two by this nullah. The population of both cannot, including children, be less than 200. They belong to the Meerep tribe. The women wear the _putsoe_ somewhat like those of Burma, which seems to me quite new in Singpho women; and is not the fas.h.i.+on with those in a.s.sam. To the S.W.

there is a group of somewhat decayed Shan PaG.o.das, and a Poonghie house, around which are planted mango trees and a beautiful arboreous Bauhinia, B. rhododendriflora mihi, ovariis binis! Around the village is an extensive plain, and to the S.E. one or two more PaG.o.das. This Bauhinia has flowers 1.5 inches across, calyx spathaceus, petalis, sub-conformibus, obovatis, repandis laete purpureis, vexillo coccineo- purpureo, colore saturate venoso, carinae petalis distantibus, odor Copaivae! Stam. 5 declinata, c.u.m petalis, alternantia. Ovaria 2!

antic.u.m postic.u.mque, longe stipetata, difformia superiore minore, aborticate, ambobus vexillo oppositis! Stylus ruber pallide; stigma capitatum. One B. variegata, W. Roxb. Fl. Indic. vol. ii. p.319, quamvis auctor de ovario antico silet.

Two snakes were captured, approaching in shape to the green snake of the Coromandel Coast. Under surface throughout bright gamboge colour; upper surface throughout, excepting about a span or less of the back of the neck, bright ochraceous brown. The s.p.a.ce above alluded to is in one faintly, in the other strongly variegated with black and white. Irides, gamboge-coloured.

_March 26th_.--Visited the amber mines, which are situated on a range of low hills, perhaps 150 feet above the plain of Meinkhoon, from which they bear S.W. The distance of the pits now worked is about six miles, of which three are pa.s.sed in traversing the plain, and three in the low hills which it is requisite to cross. These are thickly covered with tree jungle. The first pits, which are old, occur about one mile within the hills. Those now worked occupy the brow of a low hill, and on this spot they are very numerous; the pits are square, about four feet in diameter, and of very variable depth; steps, or rather holes, are cut in two of the faces of the square by which the workmen ascend and descend.

The instruments used are wooden-lipped with iron crowbars, by which the soil is displaced; this answers but very imperfectly for a pickaxe: small wooden shovels, baskets for carrying up the soil, etc., buckets of bark to draw up the water, bamboos, the base of the rhizoma forming a hook for drawing up the baskets, and the Madras lever for drawing up heavy loads.

The soil throughout the upper portion, and indeed for a depth of 15 to 20 feet, is red and clayish, and appears to inclose but small pieces of lignite; the remainder consists of greyish slate clay increasing in density as the pits do in depth: in this occur strata of lignite very imperfectly formed, which gives the grey mineral a slaty fracture, and among this the amber is found. {78} The deepest pit was about 40 feet, and the workmen had then come to water. All the amber I saw, except a few pieces, occurred as very small irregular deposits, and in no great abundance. The searching occupies but little time, as they look only among the lignite, which is at once obvious. No precautions are taken to prevent accidents from the falling in of the sides of the pits, which are in many places very close to each other (within two feet): but the soil is very tenacious.

We could not obtain any fine specimens; indeed at first the workmen denied having any at all, and told Mr. B. that they had been working for six years without success. They appear to have no index to favourable spots, but having once found a good pit they of course dig as many as possible as near and close together as they can. The most numerous occur at the highest part of the hill now worked. The article is much prized for ornaments by the Chinese and Singphos, but is never of much value; five rupees being a good price for a first-rate pair of earrings.

Meinkhoon is visited by parties of Chinese for the purpose of procuring this article. There are at present here a Lupai Sooba and a few men, from a place three or four days' journey beyond the Irrawaddi, waiting for amber. These men are much like the Chinese, whose dress they almost wear: they squat like them, and wear their hair like them; shoes, stockings, pantaloons, jackets, tunic. They are armed chiefly with firelocks, in the use of which at 50 yards two of the men were expert enough. They talk the Singpho language.

The vegetation of the plains, proceeding to the mines, is unchanged.

Noticed Apluda, a Phyllanthus, Cacalia, Poa, etc. That of the hills is the same as that of the low ranges before traversed. The only new plants were a Celtis? a Krameria (the Celtis is the Boolla of Upper a.s.sam,) Ventilago, Quercus or Castanea, Compositae, etc. In the damp places a largish Loxotis, two or three Begoniae, ditto Urticeae occur. I noticed among and around the pits a species of Bambusa, Celtis, Kydia calycina, Clerodendrum infortunatum, Calamus, Areca, d.i.c.ksonia, Ficus, Pentaptera, and Rottlera. Pladera has ceased to appear.

Last night a sort of alarm occurred, and in consequence, this evening, the head cooly gave his orders to his men in the following terms: "Watch to-night well." n.o.body answering him, he continued, "Do you hear what I say?" Then addressed himself to them in the most obscene terms, which habit and uncivilized life seem to have adapted to common conversation amongst these people without any breach of modesty or decorum; and amongst the a.s.samese such expressions likewise form not an uncommon mode of familiar salutation.

_March 27th_.--Left about 7, and proceeded over the Meinkhoon plain in an easterly direction, in which the highest hills visible from the village lay. We continued east for some time, our course subsequently becoming more and more south. On reaching the Nempyokha, we proceeded up its bed for about two miles, the course occasionally becoming west. We reached Wollaboom at 12.5. General direction S.E.; distance thirteen miles. The greater part of the country traversed consisted of low plains, splendidly adapted for _halee_ cultivation. No villages were pa.s.sed. Saw two paths, one leading to the N., one to the S. not far from Meinkhoon; of these the N. one leads to the hills, the S. to a Singpho village. And we pa.s.sed burial places of some antiquity, and considerable extent. New plants; a Loranthus floribus viridibus, petalis 6 reflexis.

Zizyphoidea, and an arborescent Bignonia foliis cordatis oppositis, integris, basi bi-glandulosis, paniculis racemiformibus, solitariis et axillaribus vel terminalibus et aggregatis. Marlea Sporobolus, Castanea edulis, Pteris dimediata, etc., occurred. Noticed the tracks of a Tiger, of Elks, and the Peewit or Curlew.

Woollaboom is rather a large village on the Nempyokha, which is here scarcely 40 yards broad; it is of no depth, and has not much stream. The villagers are Meereps, but seem to bear a small proportion to their a.s.samese slaves. It is not stockaded, but was so formerly. The Souba, like a Hero and a General, has erected a small stockade for himself near his house, out of which he might be with ease forced by a long spear, or a spear-head fastened to a bamboo. He is an enemy of the Duphas, indeed almost all appear to be so. Whatever events the return of this Gam to a.s.sam may cause, it appears obvious to me, that the feuds in Hookhoom will not cease but with his death. So much is he hated, that B. informs me that his destruction is meditated directly the Meewoon retires to Mogam.

Water boiled at 210 degrees Fahr. Elevat. 1064 feet.

List of Plants observed in Hookhoom, which occur likewise in a.s.sam.

Eclipta floribus albis, Dactylon.

Pogonatherum crinitum, Cardamine.

Verbena chamaedrys? Sisymbrium.

Phlebochiton extensum, Gaertnera.

Ehretia arenarum, Phrynium capitatum.

Erythrinae, sp. ----- dichotomum.

Trematodon sabulosum, Hiraea.

Marchantia asamica, Naravalia.

Euphorbiacea nerifolia, Liriodendrum.

Adelia nereifolia, Roxb. Paederia foetida, and another.

Spilanthus, Azolla.

Convolvulus flore albo, Lemna.

Mimosa sudiyensis-stipulis am- Conyza graveolens, plis foliaceis, on clearings.

Vandellia pedunculata, Asplenium nidus.

Bonnayae sp. fol. spathulatis Ficus elastica.