Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 7

_Nadowar_, _Feb_. _17th_.--Our route from this village, at which we were encamped, to the tea locality in the neighbouring forest, lay for the first time partly over paddy fields, the remainder over high ground covered with the usual gra.s.ses, with here and there a low strip; all was excessively wet. We next traversed a considerable tract of tree jungle, perhaps for nearly a mile; this was a drier and higher soil than the rice ground. On the northern flank of this, and close to the edge of the jungle we came to the tea, situated on a low strip of ground.

This plant here occupies an extremely limited s.p.a.ce, and its greatest, and indeed almost only extent, is from south to north. It is in one spot excessively thick, and many of the plants had attained a considerable size, but the largest had been cut down, when it was visited by people from Suddiya in search of tea some short time ago. It had just pa.s.sed flowering; all the plants looked well, better I think than those of Kujoo. The soil was very much like that of the Kujoo and Negrigam jungles, and was remarkable for its great dryness and looseness, in spite of the long continued and heavy rains. That near the surface was dark brown, below yellow brown, and the deeper it was examined the more yellow it seemed to become. We satisfied ourselves that its depth extended lower than two feet from the surface. The s.p.a.ce the plant occupies in any numbers certainly does not exceed forty yards in length, by twenty- five in breadth. About fifty yards to the north several plants occurred, but the soil here was of a much darker tint, although it appeared to be nearly as dry as the other. The accompanying diagram may give some idea of its situation.

_February 17th_.--We arrived at Rangagurrah, the capital of the Muttack country, and the residence of the Burra-seena Puttee, or Bengmara. Our route thither occupied us, inclusive of the day spent in examining the tea at Noadwar, five days. During the three first, we pa.s.sed through a low country admirably, and almost exclusively, adapted for rice cultivation, and consequently abounding in wild wading birds and water- fowl.

As we approached Rangagurrah the ground became higher, in addition to which it is better drained. We crossed about two miles from Rangagurrah a small rivulet, a tributary of the Deboro; no plants but one of much interest was detected _en route_. That one was a fine forest tree affecting damp low places, apparently very limited in extent. It is a new genus, belonging to Hamemelideae, and we have called it _Sedgwickia_ _cerasifolia_. On our arrival at Rangagurrah we were met by the Burra- seena Puttee, 'Big warrior,' who escorted us to the houses he had caused to be erected for us, and which were at a little distance from the village itself. During our a.s.sociation with him or with his country, he was remarkably attentive and civil, and as he is an independent man he pleased me much. On the -- Feb. we reached Tingrei, a poor village about ten miles to the S.E. of Rangagurrah, situated on the west bank of the rivulet of the same name, another tributary of the Deboroo. On the same morning as the march was very short, we proceeded to examine the tea, and the following day was likewise given up to another examination. The tea here may be characterised as dwarf, no stems that I saw exceeding fifteen feet in height; it had just pa.s.sed flowering. It occurs in great abundance, and to much greater extent than in any of the places at which we had previously examined it. But here it is neither limited by peculiarity of soil or such slight elevation as the place affords; it grows indiscriminately on the higher ground where the soil is of a brownish yellow, and on which it attains a larger size than elsewhere, or on clumps occurring in low raviny ground and a.s.sociated with fine bamboos. This ground was intersected by a very tortuous dry nullah bed, on the banks of which tea was very abundant. On either side of the jungle in which it is found, extensive clearings occur, so that it is impossible to say what its original extent may have been; I am inclined to think, however that its limit was with the commencement of a small clearing running to the N.W. of a village situated on the west bank of the Tingrei, and that not much has been cut down.

[The Himalaya from Rangagurrah: p19.jpg]

The extent may be roughly estimated as follows, reckoning from the entrance into the jungle in a south easterly direction: the one in fact of our route from the village to the tea.

S.E. 180 yards, after which it disappears, but shews itself again sparingly about 100 yards further on, and in the same direction.

To the S. of this I found none, its direction being totally changed; its general direction being now,

N.W. or N.N.W. in which, and in about 200 yards from the place at which it ceased towards the south, it becomes very abundant, and continues so in a

W.N.W. course for about 220 yards.

Thence it appears to be interrupted for the s.p.a.ce of 80 or 100 yards.

It then recommences a course

N. by W. for about 100 yards, when it is terminated by cultivated ground to the east, and low raviny ground to the west.

200 yards to the north, and close to a small village, it is very abundant, and at least its stumps with numerous shoots, occupy almost the whole of a small clearing bounded on the N.E. by the rivulet Tingrei. It may be supposed to extend for a little distance into the contiguous jungle to the N.W.

On the whole, it may be said to occupy a narrow strip of jungle, extending from the village Tingrei in a S.E. direction about a .25 of a mile. I consider the plants here as finer than in any of the other tea jungles, the crown being much better developed owing at least in some parts to the less denseness of the jungle. The fact of the shoots appearing from the bases of the stems which had been cut down in the small clearing above mentioned, gave us good opportunities of seeing the effects of exposure to the sun. This they seemed to bear well, but the shoots were rather too much elongated, and the leaves had too much of a yellow tint to indicate that such was their natural situation. No part of the soil on which tea was found was like the soil of Nadowar or Manmoo; still, although stiffer than the others, it was characterised by a certain lightness.

The superstratum was very light, and brownish black, the remainder yellowish brown, the yellow tints as well as the stiffness increasing downwards. The soil was here deeper than in any of the other sites.

Many parts of the ground were excessively low, and very probably inundated during the rains.

From the fact of its occurring in such abundance in the small clearing to the N.W. of the village, I am induced to suppose that it had at some period extended down the large clearing which runs 200 yards to the south of the above village.

The a.s.sociated vegetation presented no peculiarities; several plants, with which we had not previously met, occurred. One, a Stauntonia, was found, which may be supposed from a.n.a.logy to indicate a certain coldness of climate. But on the other hand, it was a.s.sociated with so many tropical forms that not much reliance can be placed on this isolated fact.

On the 25th we returned to Rangagurrah, where the elephants and dowaniers (_drivers_) were dismissed. On the 26th we commenced returning by the Deboroo, the descent of which occupied two days and a half.

Here let me express my opinion that in cases like ours, where a set of men are deputed to examine countries, time spent on rivers is absolutely thrown away. Of course in many instances such must be the case, but where it is avoidable, marching, and especially returning by a different route, should be adopted. Rangagurrah, be it known, is only two days'

march from Suddiyah in a direct line, yet we have been a month proceeding by the circuitous line of rivers between these places.

CHAPTER II.

_Journal of a trip to the Mishmee Mountains_, _from the_ _Debouching of the Lohit to about ten miles East of_ _the Ghalooms_. _Lat_. _27 degrees 50' to 28 degrees 10'_ _N_.; _Long_. _95 degrees 20' to 96 degrees 40' E_.

I left Suddiya on the morning of the 15th October 1836, and halted at Noa Dihing Mookh, (river mouth) a place abounding in fish, and promising excellent sport both in fly and live-bait fis.h.i.+ng. The temperature of the Noa Dihing, an indolent stream flowing over a flat, sandy plain, was 79 degrees; that of the B. pooter, which falls in large volume rapidly from the mountains, was 67 degrees. Fish congregate in vast numbers at the junction of rivers of different temperatures, and are there more easily captured than in other situations, a fact that ought to be borne in mind, whether for the mere object of sport or the more practical purpose of fisheries in India.

The following day (16th) we pa.s.sed Choonpoora, where the rapids commence, and where stones first appear; one rapid, a little above Choonpoora, is severe. There is a severe one also at Toranee Mookh, on which the Copper temple is situated; and one at Tingalee Mookh, on which Lattow is situated. The river now commences to be more subdivided; there is but little sand deposited alone, but vast beds of sand and stones occur together. The banks are clothed with jungle, and are occasionally skirted with tall gra.s.ses, but the _churs_ or islands disappear it may be said with the sands, and are only formed in lower and more distant parts from the mountains, where the velocity of the current is less.

Temperature at 6 A.M. 66 degrees, 4 P.M. 76 degrees, (water of B. pooter 64.65,) 7 P.M. 72 degrees.

Buffaloes abundant, but I only saw a few.

The most interesting plants were a Cyclocodon, Liriodendron, Sanicula: 32 species were collected.

_Oct_. _17th_.--Reached Karam Mookh, about noon. Rapids much increased, some very severe, especially that opposite Karam Mookh, which we crossed without accident, although as we crossed a confluence of two rapids, the water in the middle being much agitated; it was a wonder that no canoes were upset. The bed of the river is still more divided, the spots between the streams being for the most part entirely composed of stones.

The lowest temperature of the B. pooter was 63 degrees. A severe but short rapid occurs at Karam Mookh itself, the fall being very great, but the body of water small. The water of this river is beautifully clear.

Its temperature at the Mookh 72 degrees. The jungle extends down to both edges of the water, and the stream is not divided into branches. My guide in the evening disgusted me by asking how many days I intended to stop at the Koond before my return to Suddiya, when I had engaged him expressly to go into the Mishmee hills, and not merely to Brama Koond, as the above question implied. But such is the way in which our best designs depending on native agency are often tampered with. Thermometer at 8 P.M. 64 degrees. Species of Conaria grow abundantly on the banks!

_Oct_. _18th_.--We are still in the Karam river. Reached about noon the Kamptee village, Palampan, or rather its Ghat. This Karam river is tortuous, generally shallow, with a more or less stony bed; it is nothing more in fact than a succession of rapids, between each of which the slope is very gentle, so that one makes good progress. Temperature at 6 A.M.

66 degrees in the canoe; but in the hut in which I slept, it is as low as 60 degrees. The dews are very heavy, and the jungle, as before, comes down to the edges of the water, but scarcely affords any marked feature.

_Kydia calycina_ is common, as is likewise a large Mimoseous tree.

There is apparently very little diminution in the volume of water, though several minor streams were pa.s.sed between this and the Mookh.

Liriodendron is becoming more frequent. The views of the mountains are very varied; and that of the Koond defile or Chasm, very beautiful; water- falls seem to be distinctly visible down one hill or mountain, in particular. The finest view however is on the Lohit, opposite Dyaroo Mookh, at which place the three huge, ever snowy peaks, characteristic of the Mishmee portion of the mountains, are distinctly seen.

Left the Ghat for the village which is situate on the Dea-soon or Simaree, which flows into the Tenga-panee, and which is said now to carry off so much water from the Karam that this river ceases a short distance above this place to become navigable for boats like mine. The path we pursued ran in a S.E. or S.S.E. direction for about a mile; it is good, and leads through a thick jungle: the village contains probably fifteen houses. The Gohain, or _chief_, is a most respectable-looking man, and of very fair complexion. His people are for the most part stout. The women also of very fair complexion, with their hair tied in a large knot on the top of the head, in a peculiar way, putting one in mind of fat Norman damsels. Temperature in the boat to-day 76 degrees, the sky beautifully clear. The B. pooter seems still the only river, the temperature of which is always below that of the air. One interesting Elaeocarpus occurred--Petal. viridibus apice dentatis; calice griseo viridi, _vix valvato_. I may remark, that the aestivation of Kydia is scarcely valvate. I saw a, to me, new kingfisher and wood-p.e.c.k.e.r. The black and white kingfisher, _Dalcedo rudus_, is not found on the B.

pooter beyond the termination of the sand banks.

_Oct_. _18th_--Temperature in my hut at 5.5 A.M. is 56 degrees, outside it is 52.5 degrees, that of the river water 63 degrees. We left about 8, and proceeded up the Karam, which presented nothing singular. The volume of water is now less, and rapids are more frequent: heavy snow is visible from a little above Palampan Ghat, where the river bends to the northward; and a little further on a fine view of the Koond occurs. The Chasm is bounded in the rear by the fine rugged peak so distinctly seen from Suddiya due east. About 11, we reached the Ghat, beyond which boats, except of the smallest description, cannot pa.s.s; and about 1, started for the Mishmee village Jing-sha, situated on the Karam. Our course was along the bed of the river, and nearly due east. Formerly boats were able to reach the Ghat of the village, but the water has become shallower, owing, they say, to a larger portion being carried off by the Dea-soon, which runs into the Tenga-panee. We reached the village Ghat about four in the afternoon, but our people arrived very little before six o'clock. The march was tedious and difficult, owing to the numerous stones which are strewed in the way: and the necessity for crossing the river was so frequent, that all idea of shoes was quite out of the question. To increase the difficulty, the stones in the bed of river are very slippery, and as we crossed rapids, it frequently required some care to prevent our falling.

We were met by the Gam, or chief, before any signs of the village there were visible. The population is small; the people fair, but begrimed with dirt; the dress consists of a loose jacket without sleeves. The primary article of clothing is indeed so scanty, that the less one says about it the better. The women are decently clothed, and have generally enormous calves, certainly bigger than those of the men: their favourite ornament seems to be a band of silver, broadest across their forehead, which encircles their head. This village is close to the hills, and within a day's journey of the Koond, at least for a Mishmee. One a.s.samese slave is among the inhabitants, who was sold when a boy. A few of the men have Singfo dhaos or swords, others miserable knives, and some the usual spear so general with the tribes on this frontier. But in general the weapons of these people are most insignificant. The view of the hills is not fine from this place; it is too close to see any of great height, and they soon disappear to the westward. In the evening that of the Koond, which bears E.N.E. by N. is fine, particularly one mountain, which is known at once by its numerous cascades or appearances of water-falls, which, although they appear like streaks of white to the eye, are distinctly visible through a telescope. The bed of the Karam is almost entirely stony, and the immediate banks are clothed with gra.s.s.

The jungle is of the usual thick description. The Gam, whose name is Jingsha, is a respectable looking man, fair in his dealings, and willing to oblige. They all have tobacco pipes.

_Oct_. _19th_.--Halted to enable the people to bring up the baggage, and we shall in all probability have to halt to-morrow. I paid a visit to the Gam's house, Jings.h.i.+; it is to the S.E. of the Ghat, and about a mile and a half distant from it. The houses are all detached, and almost buried in jungle. Jingsha's house is a good one, very long, and well built; he has only about five skulls. {24} _Mont_ was handed round to the Mishmees in large bamboo cups. From our encampment, abundance of clearances for cultivation are visible on the hills. Those to N., S., S.E. are of some extent, and belong to a Mishmee Gam, Tapa. Some fine timber trees exist on the road to the village, and a very large Ficus: no particular plants occur except a Chloranthus, fructibus albis, which is also common towards Palampan. Thermometer at noon, in imperfect shade, 83 degrees.

_Oct_. _20th_.--The temperature of the air at 5.5 A.M. was 57.5 degrees.

That of water, 60 degrees. I was obliged to halt again to enable the rice to be brought up. To-day we gathered on the banks of the Karam, a tree in fruit, Fol. alterna, impari-pinnata, stipulis caducis. Cymi compositi dichotomi; calyce minuto, 4 dentato, reflexo; corolla coriacea, viridi, rotata; stamina 4, hypogyna, gyn.o.basi, maxima; carpellis 4, aggregatis, 1, 3, fecundalis, globosis, atro-cyaneis, baccatis; stylis lateralibus; s.e.m.e.n 1, exalb.u.mosum arbuscula mediocris; one Chrysobalanea?

one Ochnacea?

Yesterday they brought me a beautiful snake, Collo gracillimo, colore pulchre fusco, maculis aterrimis, capite magno; {25} has all the appearance of being venomous. To-day we pa.s.sed another place for catching fish: the water is prevented from escaping, (except at the place where the current is naturally most violent,) by a dam composed of bamboos, supported by triangles, from the centre of which hang heavy stones: the fish are prevented pa.s.sing down except at the above spot, and here they are received on a platform of bamboo: the stream is so strong through this point, that when once the fish have pa.s.sed down they are unable to return. One of these fish-traps on a larger scale exists below Palampan.

The Karam debuts from the hills a little to the S. of east of Jingsha Ghat: the chasm is very distinct. Temperature at 2 P.M. 87 degrees, at sunset 76 degrees, 8 P.M. 68 degrees.

_Oct_. _21st_.--Left the Ghat about 9, and proceeded over the same difficult ground down the Karam until we arrived at Laee Mookh. This occupied about an hour; our course thence lay up the Laee, which runs nearly due east. The bed of the river throughout the lower part of its course is 60 or 70 yards across: the journey was as difficult as that on the Karam. Towards 2 P.M. we were close to the hills, and the river became contracted, not exceeding 30 or 40 yards across. It is here only that large rock ma.s.ses are to be found, but the boulders are in no case immense. We arrived at the place of our encampment about 4 P.M., the porters coming up much later. The march was in every respect most fatiguing. Temperature about 6 A.M. 58 degrees, outside 57 degrees.

Water 60 degrees. Temperature of Laee at sunset 66 degrees. Of the air 71 degrees.

_Oct_. _22nd_.--Cloudy: during the night we were much annoyed by heavy gusts of wind sweeping down the river. Left our encampment at 7.5, and struck into the jungle, the porters still continuing along the course of the river; after crossing some rising ground we reached a path, which is tolerably good. Our course lay about N.E.; we crossed over some low hills, and after marching for about an hour and a quarter, came upon the Koond Chasm, or great defile; of which, however, from the thickness of the jungle, we had no view. We then descended a very steep, but not very high hill, and came upon the Koond; of which nothing is at first seen but large ma.s.ses of rock strewed in every direction. We were accompanied by a number of Jingsha Gam's people, and in the evening we were visited by Tapan Gam himself, with a train of followers. This man a.s.sumes the sovereignty of the Koond. We encamped immediately under the Faqueer's Rock, which is known to the Mishmees by the name "Taihloo Maplampoo." The south bank is wooded to its brink, but not very densely: it is excessively steep, and in many places almost perpendicular. The strata composing it is partly limestone, lying at an angle of 45 degrees, and in many places at a greater one. The scenery is picturesque and bold: on either side of the river are hills rising abruptly to the height of a few hundred feet, but the hills are continued longer on the north side. From the Rock the river seems to run W.N.W. for a quarter of a mile, and then bends to the S.W. The breadth of the bed is a good hundred yards, but the stream at this season is confined to the fifty yards near the south bank, the remainder being occupied by rocks in situ, or boulders and sand: the edge of the N. bank is occupied by stunted _Saccharum_. The appearance of the water is characteristic, of a greyish green tinge, giving the impression of great depth. It is only here and there that it is white with foam, its general course being rather gentle. It is in various places encroached upon more or less by the rocks forming its bed, some of which are quite perpendicular. A little to the west of the Faqueer's Rock there is an immense ma.s.s of rock in the bed of the river, between which and the south bank there is now very little water and no current. The rocks are generally naked; here and there they are partially clothed with Gramineae, and a Cyperaceous-looking plant, something like an Eriophorum. The river, a short distance beyond the Deo- panee, takes a bend to the north; at the point where it bends there is a considerable rapid.

[Bramakhoond and Faqueer's Rock: p26.jpg]

The Faqueer's Rock itself is a loose ma.s.s of rugged outline, about 50 feet high: access to its summit is difficult to anybody but a Mishmee; it is, however, by no means impracticable. The path by which it may be gained, leads from the eastward. At the summit is an insulated, rounded, rugged ma.s.s of rock, on which the faqueers sit. It is however the descent by the path to the east which is difficult, and people generally choose another path to the west. This rock is clothed with ferns epiphytical Orchideae, an Arundo, and a few stunted trees are very common at its summit. Between it and the hill is another much smaller ma.s.s, and the intervening s.p.a.ces are occupied by angular ma.s.ses of rock. These s.p.a.ces both lead westward to that corner of the river into which the Deo- panee falls. Eastward they lead to the margin of the bank.

The north face of the Faqueer's Rock is excavated into a hollow of the Deo Dowar. It has no resemblance to a Gothic ruin, which form is, I believe, peculiar to calcareous rocks. It is this rock which, by its eastern extremity projecting into the water, forms the reservoirs into which the Deo-panee falls, or rather at this season runs; the place resembles merely a sort of bay. The water-mark of floods visible on some of the rocks, is probably eight feet above that of this time of the year.

The reservoir is completed by a projection from the rocks forming the south bank, but it is almost entirely abstracted from the stream. The south bank immediately beyond this is extremely precipitous, and very high. The Faqueer's Rock is three-peaked; two peaks can only be seen from the Deo-panee, the third is the low one to the west, the middle is the highest, and is perforated: the eastern represents a sugar-loaf appearance. Two distinct streams run into the reservoirs, the bed of one forms the second defile before alluded to: this is very insignificant.

The other occupies the corner of the bay, and can only be seen from a low station on the sand beneath: it is an attempt at a small water-fall.