CHAPTER I.

Appointed second in command of the Assam Light Infantry—Journey to Assam, Goalparah, and Gowahatty—Trip to Seebsaugur in a canoe—Boats and dangers—Seebsaugur and Saikwah described—The tribes—An Assam cottage—Unwelcome intruder—Climate of Assam page 1

CHAPTER II.

Travels and residence in North-Western Assam—Description of Burpetah in the rains—Vampire, or fox bats—Leaf insect—Seclusion of villages in the jungles—Country abounds with wild animals—Number of deaths, and damage done to crops—Native mode of killing a tiger—Conflagrations of jungles—Danger therefrom to travellers—Cultivation of high and low lands—Number of crops—Primitive mode of husbandry—Irrigation by cacharies—Country inundated—Population and condition of the people—Law on slavery 16

CHAPTER III.

Forests and grass jungle—Tigers, elephants, buffaloes, rhinosceroses, pigs and deer—Field sports by Europeans—Native practice of destroying animals with poisoned arrows—Effects of poison—Wild elephants caught with a noose in Assam—Secured in a Kheddah or enclosure at Chittagong—Net revenue of Assam—Disbursements—Industry—Opium—Slavery—Conclusion 27

ACCOUNT OF ASSAMESE TRIBES.

The Khamtees: their subjection of Suddeah and Saikwah—Their defeat and expulsion—Re-establishment of their authority at Suddeah and Saikwah—Intrigues and disaffection to the British Government in 1820—Captain Charlton placed in charge of the Khamtee chiefs at Suddeah and Saikwah, 1834–35—Attempts of the Khamtees in 1837–38 to subvert British authority—Their insurrection in 1839, and attack on the post at Suddeah and repulse—Death of Lieutenant White—Expulsion of the Khamtees from Assam—Their submission and pardon—Character and habits of the Khamtees 39

The Singphoos: their country, population, chiefs and clans—Their dislike of British powers—Their subjection in 1826—Terms of treaty—Feud between two rival chieftains—Submission and subsequent flight of the Duffa Gaum—Disaffection of Tengapanee Singphoos—Tour of the political agent—Fresh disturbances—Character of the country and people—Their religion, customs, and condition—Capabilities for commerce—Government experiment in the woollen trade—Boundary of Assamese and Burmese territories 59

Muttucks: their origin and religion—Severely persecuted by Seba Sing—Revolt under Luckme Sing—Get possession of the capital, and make Luckme Sing and all his court prisoners—Ramakant Bor Deka ascends the throne—Re-action in favour of Luckme Sing, who is restored—Barbarous punishment inflicted on Ramakant Bor Deka, his brother, and father—General massacre of the Muttuck chiefs and their followers—Rebellion of the Moa Mareyas—Expulsion of Rajah Goureenath, who solicits the assistance of the British Government—Captain Welsh sent with one or two battalions—Replaces Goureenath on the throne—Rajah Kumalepur invades Muttuck, but unable to obtain permanent possession—British Government annexes the whole of Muttuck to the district of Luckimpoor—Husbandry the chief occupation of the Muttucks—Tea plant indigenous—Exertions of Major Jenkins in promoting its cultivation 91

The Bor Abors, Abors, and Merees: their localities and origin—Ornaments of the women—Martial spirit of the Abors—Destitute of beards—Ignorant of reading or writing—Void of delicacy and cleanliness in their habits—Little known of the Abor country—Failure of Lieutenant Wilcox to ascend the Dehong river 110

The Mishmees: divided into distinct clans—Their characteristics—Attire and ornaments of the women—Mishmees unrestricted in the number of wives—Inordinately fond of smoking—Very superstitious—Mode of settling disputes—Cane bridges—Feud between the Tain and Mezhoo Mishmees—Trade between the Lamas and Mishmees—Articles of barter and of produce—Names and number of followers of the chiefs 115

The Dooaneahs: their origin—Nature of the country—Expert pioneers, but not of martial spirit—Strongly addicted to the use of opium 126

The Assamese: conquered and subjected to vassalage by the Ahooms—Mode of government—System of collecting the revenue—Conquered by the British in 1825—New system of taxation introduced—Abundance of gold—Gold washing—Natural products—Diet, clothing, &c.—Dwellings—Marriage—Betrothment—Marriage feast and presents—Breach of promise—Servitude for wives—Divorce—Slavery—Distribution of salt—Slavery—Ahoom dynasty—List of the last kings of Assam—Cruel punishments 127

The Nagas: their general features and characteristics—Missionary efforts by the American Baptists—Naga Government—Treatment of strangers—Omens—Husbandry—Salt wells—Mode of warfare—Ceremony of tattooing—Mode of revenge—Naga customs—Funeral ceremonies—List of the Naga tribe 149

The Garrows: the tallest and most powerful of all the hill tribes—Savage custom on the death of their relatives—Description of the Garrow women—Culture of cotton—climate 179

The Cosseahs: an athletic race, but indolent—Murder of Lieuts. Beddingfield and Burlton—Chief product, potatoes 182

The Booteahs: extent of the Bootan hills—Population—Captain Pemberton’s description of the Booteahs—Exactions and mal-practices of the Bootan rulers—Weapons 185

The Sath Booteah Rajahs of Kooreahparah Dooar in Durrung: the mountains where located—Kalling and Booree Goorma Dooars—Tyranny of the Booteahs towards the Dooars—Kalling Dooar annexed to Assam—Kooreahparah Dooar—Exactions of the Sath Rajahs—Advantages of British Government 191

The Char Dooar, or Sheergawn and Rooprae Booteah Sath Rajahs: names of the principal chiefs—Yearly amount of black mail levied by them—Murder of Moodhoo Sykeah 199

The Thebingeah Booteahs: quarrel between them and the Rooprae Booteahs of Char Dooar—At the present day not numerous, but peaceable and inoffensive—Sum allowed them by the British Government in lieu of black mail 202

The Huzaree Khawa Akhas: reside in the mountains north of Burgong—Formerly very powerful, but now acknowledge the supremacy of Taggee, a Kuppah Choor Akha Chief 204

The Kuppah Choor Akhas: always looked upon by their neighbours as a ferocious band of banditti—Depredations by Rajah Taggee—His incarceration by the British, and subsequent liberation—Resorts to his former lawless practices—Massacre of the Goorkha Sipahees—Taggee, in 1842, voluntarily surrenders to the British, who again liberate him on his swearing allegiance—He is pensioned with four other chiefs 206

The Dufflahs: divided into innumerable clans—Very uncivilized, and formerly very troublesome—In 1836–37, consent to forego their depredations on receiving a fixed sum from the British Government—List of Dufflah chiefs, and the amount of pension paid to them 212