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

A SKETCH OF ASSAM.