Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries Part 18

Wakhet Gam was an adherent of the Duphas, and is by all account one of the worst-disposed Singpho chiefs. He is said even at this period still to traffic occasionally in slaves.

3. _Kidding_.--A temporary village, containing about 10 houses, inhabited by Nagas, now naturalised to the plains.

4. _Namroop Puthar_.--So called from a plain on the left bank of the Namroop. The village, which is a mean and despicable one, is on the opposite bank.

5. _Beesa Lacoom_.--Is situated on the right bank of the Darap Panee, which is fordable at the heads of the rapids. It contains 12 small houses. The Gam is, I believe, an uncle of the Beesa Gam, and exercises exclusive control over the tribe of Beesa Nagas. This influence he appeared to exercise to our disadvantage. He is a discontented man, and his behaviour to our party was very unsatisfactory.

_Population_. {116} --This is scanty enough, particularly when we consider that the houses in the above villages are much smaller than in the better sort of Singpho villages. With the exception of the Kamptee village the average number of people to each house cannot exceed five.

Another small Singpho village exists on the Namroop, about 3 miles from Namroop Puthar, and not far from the site of the coal mine.

_Capabilities of the Country_.--These are of the usual description.

The soil is productive enough, but the labour of clearing the drier spots is excessive. Excellent rice grounds exist in abundance between Beesa Lacoom and Namroop Puthar, but the cultivation of this, as well as of all the other necessaries, is limited to the quant.i.ty absolutely required.

Scarcities of grain are of frequent, indeed almost of annual, occurrence; and this is chiefly owing to the pernicious influence of opium or Kanee, to which all our Singphos are immoderately attached. Of the _Mineral_ _Productions_, coal and petroleum were the only ones we met with.

_The coal occupies_ the greater portion of a precipitous part of the sandstone composing the left bank of the river Namroop. Three large veins have been completely exposed by the cutting away of the bank. The coal is I believe of good quality. The river immediately under the veins is very deep, and were it not for the rapids which intervene between the site of the mineral and the Booree Dihing, it would be difficult to conceive a spot affording similar facilities for the transmission of the mineral. I must however, observe, that even in the dry season the river is navigable for small canoes as far as the site alluded to. During the rains no difficulty whatever would be experienced in the carriage, as rafts might be made on the spot. No use is made of the coal by the natives, nor did they seem to be aware of its nature.

Of _the Petroleum_ {117} no use whatever is made, although we have ample experience from its universal use by the Burmese, that it is a valuable product both as affording light, and preserving in a very great degree all wooden structures from rot and insects. The springs occur in four different places, all close to the Puthar: of these three occur on the low hill which bounds the Puthar to the southern side, and one on the Puthar itself, at the foot of the range alluded to. The springs are either solitary, as in that of the Puthar, or grouped, a number together; the discharge varies extremely from a thin greenish aqueous fluid to a bluish grey opaque one, of rather a thick consistence: the quant.i.ty poured out by these latter springs is very considerable. On the surface of all, but especially on these last, an oleaginous, highly inflammable fluid collects in the form of a thin film. The jungle surrounding the springs ceases abruptly, the ground around, and among them, being covered with stunted gra.s.s and a few small herbaceous plants. Elephants and large deer are frequent visitors to the springs; of the former, the tracts are frequent, and they are sometimes shot here by the natives.

_Vegetable Products_.--The jungles afford several kinds of bamboo, some of which are of value; generally speaking the trees are not large, with the exception of a gigantic Dipterocarpus, wood-oil or dammar tree; of this particular tree I have seen specimens measuring 100 feet from the base to the first branch. The wood is of no value, nor have I seen any use made in a.s.sam of the resinous secretion, which is in great vogue on the Tena.s.serim Coast for the construction of torches, etc.

II. FROM BEESA LACOOM TO NAMTUSSEEK.

COUNTRY TRAVERSED FORMING PARTS OF THE NAGA RANGE OF HILLS, AND OF THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE VALLEY OF a.s.sAM: THE NORTHERN SIDE IS SUBJECT TO BRITISH, THE SOUTHERN TO BURMESE CONTROL.

1st. STAGE.--_Halting place_ in the jungle, at an elevation of 770 feet above the sea. Direction SSE. Distance 12 miles, course over low hills covered with dense jungle.

2nd. _Darap Panee_.--Alt.i.tude 1029 feet. Direction SSE. Distance 12 miles, pa.s.sed over some difficult places; crossed the Darap twice before we reached the halting place, course through very heavy jungle, except on the summits of the higher hills, which are tolerably open.

3rd. _Namtusseek_, {118} or Tusseek Panee, alt.i.tude 1413 feet. Direction SSE. Distance 12 miles, country more open: summit of the hills covered with gra.s.s and scattered trees. The highest hill surmounted was certainly 1000 feet above our halting place.

4th. Namtusseek, or Tusseek Panee, alt.i.tude (not observed). Direction SSE. Distance 10 miles, course almost entirely up the bed of the river over boulders, occasionally skirting the stream through heavy and wet jungle.

5th. _Yoomsan nullah_, near the foot of the Patkaye. Alt. 3026 feet; direction SSE. Distance 4 miles. Course for a short time along the bed of the Namtusseek, until we crossed a small stream, the Tukkakha: then ascended a mountain, about 3500 feet high; on reaching the summit we descended until we reached the halting place.

6th. _Nam-maroan_, or Maroan-kha. {119a} Alt. 2500 feet. Direction ESE. Distance 15 miles. Ascended until we reached the summit of the Patkaye; the ascent was in some places very steep, and owing to the unsettled state of the weather, very difficult. Reached the boundary nullah, along which we proceeded for some time; we then commenced the descent, which was steep, and continued so, until we reached the Nam-maroan. The extreme elevation we reached was rather more than 5000 feet. {119b}

7th. _Nam-maroan_.--Alt.i.tude estimated 2000 feet. Direction ESE.

Distance 10 miles, course along the bed of the stream; ground difficult, and much impeded by boulders.

8th. _Nam-maroan_.--Alt.i.tude not taken. Direction ESE. Distance 7 miles. Course the same, but of a less difficult nature.

9th. _Khathung khioung_. {119c}--Alt.i.tude 1622 feet. Direction E. by S. Distance 7 miles, course continues along the Nam-maroan, the whole way: ground much less difficult. Pa.s.sed close to a Singpho village of two houses; some Puthars which bore traces of having once been cultivated and inhabited occurred on this march.

10th. _Khussee-khioung_.--Alt.i.tude 3516. Direction E. by S. Distance 13 miles, left almost immediately the Khathung Kioung, and commenced ascending. Ascent in some places very steep and difficult, and continued until we had reached an elevation of 5600 feet. The descent then commenced, and continued until we reached the Khussee-khioung, pa.s.sing along for some distance the Natkaw-khioung. The descent was occasionally difficult, owing to broken ground; tree jungle occurred almost throughout the whole distance.

11th. Kuttack Bhoom. {119d}--Alt.i.tude 3270. General direction S.

Distance 13 miles. Left the Khussee-khioung, but reached it again before long. Continued to descend considerably, until we reached the Nam-thuga, thence the descent increased considerably. Halted on an open gra.s.sy spot, from which an extensive view of the valley of Hookhoom is obtained.

12th. _Namtusseek_.--Alt.i.tude 1099 feet. General direction ESE.

Distance 10 miles. Descended from Kuttack Bhoom, until we reached the Loonkharankha, then ascended considerably. The descent then recommenced, until we reached the Namtusseek. Heavy jungle occurred throughout. Path occasionally difficult, becoming as we approached the base of the range very wet. We crossed several small mountain streams.

_General features of the hills_.--The prevailing formation appears to be sandstone, and connected with this we have rounded summits, not attaining a great elevation, and a considerable depth of soil. The lower ranges are throughout covered with heavy tree jungle. This becomes excessively thick and wet along the water courses, which are of frequent occurrence towards the base of the range, both on the northern and southern sides. But from an elevation of 1000 feet to that of Yoomsan, a great change for the better takes place on the northern face, the hills being covered with clay, and generally not very high gra.s.s jungle, among which trees are scattered. This character is particularly evident along both sides of the valley drained by the Namtusseek of the northern side.

The Patkaye is wooded to its summit; the jungle on the south side being much more humid than that on the northern. Indeed on this face of the range, with the exception of the Puthars on the Nam-maroan, scarcely more than two open spots exist, and both of these are of small extent. Of these one exists at an elevation of 5500 feet, and one at Kuttack Bhoom.

The paths although very often steep, are easy enough for coolies, except during wet weather, when they become very slippery. With some degree of preparation the worst places might be made pa.s.sable for lightly loaded elephants, and this would be facilitated by the soft nature of most of the rocks. The most difficult marches are those which lie along the beds of the streams, and these, it has been seen, are far the most numerous; they are particularly difficult for elephants, the boulders affording a very precarious footing to these weighty animals. The difficulty is much increased by rain, when even coolies find considerable difficulty in making any progress. Several elephants accompanied Major White as far as the Darap Panee, and a small suwaree elephant, loaded with a light tent, succeeded in reaching Yoomsan. The southern side of the range is decidedly of a more difficult nature than the northern, and it is in addition of greater extent: the highest point traversed is 5600 feet above the level of the sea. The range might be traversed by a lightly loaded active native in six days.

_Streams_.--These all partake of the usual nature of mountain torrents; they are all fordable during the cold weather, the princ.i.p.al ones being crossed at the heads of the rapids. The boundary nullah is a mere streamlet: it runs between two ridges of the Patkaye: its course being about ESE. and WNW. Owing to the frequency of the streams and their mountainous nature, I should imagine that this route is impracticable during the rains.

_Villages_.--Not a single village or house exists directly on the route.

One small Naga village is visible from the Namtusseek below Yoomsan, and a detached hut is visible here and there on a high mountain close to, and NE. of Yoomsan. On the Burmese side there is, as I have mentioned before, a village consisting of two houses close to the route. This village has lately been established by some Singphos from Nimbrung, several marches to the eastward.

_Population_.--I certainly did not see 100 Nagas throughout the time pa.s.sed in traversing these hills, although I am satisfied that every man within a reasonable distance came into Camp in the hopes of sharing in the extensive distribution of presents. From the appearance of the country about Yoomsan, and the valley of the Namtusseek, I am inclined to think that the population was at one time considerable. The openness of the country, which is as I have previously said chiefly clothed with gra.s.s, and the peculiar and generally imperfect aspect of the trees, can only be accounted for, by supposing the country to have been extensively cleared, particularly when it is remembered that the highest portions of the range are thickly wooded. But allowing this supposition to be correct, it is no proof, that the total population has been on the decline, for we must take into account, the wandering nature of all hill tribes. In forming an opinion of a hill population, which in all times and places has, in this country at least, been found scanty, we must take care not to confound the temporary huts, erected in khets, for the purpose of protecting the cultivation, with actually inhabited houses; to the former description I think the detached houses mentioned as being visible from Yoomsan are to be referred.

The Nagas, at least the men, for I saw no women, are a small, active, large-legged race, with Tartar faces. They are divided into very many tribes, each of which has some peculiarity of costume. Those I saw were decidedly inferior to any of the other hill tribes with which I am acquainted. Their clothing is miserable, the chief protection consisting of a number of rings, made of rattan, which encircle the abdomen. They are as usual excessively dirty, and much attached to the use of tobacco and ardent spirits. Their wants are few, but even these are miserably supplied. They entertain an unbounded fear of the Singphos, who appear to make any use of them they think proper. Their only weapons are spears, Singpho dhas and battle axes.

The Singphos cannot be considered otherwise than as encroachers.

Invasions of these restless marauders appear not to have been uncommon up to a late date. The remains of two stockades, in which they had entrenched themselves were extant, one close to Yoomsan, the other on the S. face of the Patkaye. I have before said that the puthars on the Nam- maroan bore evidence of having been inhabited, and apparently to some extent. But even during the stay of Major White on these hills, an irruption of Singphos from Nimbrung had taken place, and had totally unsettled the peace of the native inhabitants. Such things must be expected to occur, particularly when it is well known that the Burmese, the only power to which they are subjects, can exercise no authority over the Singphos in any one direction, except when they have a large armed force in the valley of Hookhoom.

_Of the Capabilities_ of the country it would be vain to attempt giving an opinion. Scarcely any cultivation was pa.s.sed on the route. The soil is generally deep, more or less yellow, and somewhat clayey; the hollows having a thin superstratum of black mould. Taking the deserted state of the country into account, this part of the Naga range is of little importance, except as forming portion of a most natural and well defined boundary, compared with other portions of the same range to the westward.

_Products_.--The princ.i.p.al mineral product is salt, an article which is procured abundantly in some other more available points of the range. We saw one small spring on the Namtusseek, from which supplies had been lately taken.

_Vegetable Products_.--Fine timber trees occur here and there. Oaks, Magnolias and Chesnuts occur not uncommonly, the Magnolias being of these in this range the most characteristic of elevation. The horse chesnut of a.s.sam, (Osculus Asamicus mihi) occurs on both sides of the range, but does not ascend further than 3,000 feet. No Fir trees exist on the route, nor is it probable that they exist on the range in this direction.

One of the most interesting plants is a new species of tea, which I believe to be a genuine Thea; it is called Bun Fullup, or jungle tea, by the a.s.samese, in contra-distinction to the true tea plant, which is called Fullup. This species makes its appearance at an elevation of about 1,000 feet, and is met with as high up as 4,000 feet. It attains the size of a tree of 30 feet in height; it is used only as a medicine.

No real tea exists on this route; several plants were pointed out to me as tea, but all were spurious instances. The higher portions of the ranges have a flora approaching in many instances to that of northern lat.i.tudes. As examples of this, it will be sufficient to allude, in addition to the trees mentioned above, to the existence of two species of Daphne, one of Barberry, several species of a genus nearly allied to the Whortle Berries, a Violet, and several species of Smilacineae, to which order the Lily of the Valley belongs.

In concluding this part of my report, I may perhaps be permitted to advert to the question of the possibility of transporting a body of armed men into the Burmese dominions by this route. Although there is nothing in the nature of this portion of the boundary which would render this operation very difficult, yet considering the state of the adjoining parts of Upper a.s.sam, and that of Hookhoom, it becomes almost impracticable. I allude to the extreme difficulty of procuring grain in Upper a.s.sam, in which, at least around Sadiya, annual scarcities are by no means uncommon, and to the utter impossibility of drawing any supplies from Hookhoom in its present miserable state. All the necessary supplies would require to be drawn from Lower a.s.sam, and for the transport of these the scanty population of this extremity of the valley would by no means be sufficient. Bearing on this point it must be remembered, that from the 1st of April to the 1st November, these hills cannot be traversed except by their native inhabitants, without incurring great risk from the usual severe form of jungle fever.

III. FROM NAMTUSSEEK TO WULLABOOM.

COUNTRY TRAVERSED SUBJECT TO BURMESE AUTHORITY, FORMING GREATER PORTION OF THE VALLEY OF HOOKHOONG, OR THE PAEENDWENG.

March 1. _From Namtusseek to Nhempean_.--Direction E. Distance 18 miles, crossed the Namtusseek, then pa.s.sed through heavy tree jungle, and subsequently over extensive gra.s.sy plains.

2. _From Nhempean to Nidding_.--Direction SSE. Distance 4.5 miles, course along the Namtoroan, thence up the Saxsaikha.

3. _From Nidding to Kulleyang_.--Direction SSE. Distance 13 miles, country covered either with tree or high gra.s.s jungle. Pa.s.sed a deserted village, Thilling Khet.

4. _From Kulleyang to Isilone_.--Direction SW. Distance 10 miles, country rather more open. Puthars are of common occurrence; pa.s.sed a small village, Damoon.

5. _From Tsilone to Meinkhoong_.--Distance 17 miles, course at first along the Namtunai, {124a} country open, consisting of gra.s.sy plains; several nullahs occur.

6. _From Meinkhoon to Wullabhoom_.--Direction SE. Distance 13 miles. Course over plains intersected by tree jungle, subsequently up the bed of the Nempyo-kha.

_Nature of the Country_.--The valley of Hookhoong, or as the Burmese call it, in allusion to its amber mines, Paeendweng, is of small extent. Its greatest diameter is in the direction of E. to W., {124b} its southern termination being within a few miles from Wullabhoom. It is surrounded on all sides by hills, the highest of which are towards the NE. and E.; none however would appear to exceed 6000 feet in height; and from their appearance, I imagine they are wooded to their summits. The lowest hills are those which form the southern boundary, and these scarcely deserve the name. From Kuttack-bhoom a fine view of the valley is obtained; it is here very narrow, and does not I should think exceed 25 miles in breadth. The features of the country are in a striking degree similar to those of Upper a.s.sam, that is, it presents a plain surface intersected frequently by belts of jungle, the parts at the base of the boundary hills being exclusively occupied by heavy jungle. The general elevation of the plain above the sea may be estimated at about 1000 feet, so that it is several hundred feet above the level of Sadiya.