440 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



own religionists, but send miles and miles away and forcibly 

 seize Cacharies and make them do the work which their own 

 villagers ought to do. There is the usual protest by every 

 man that the load set apart for him is too heavy, that he has 

 not had food for twenty- four hours often but too true in the 

 case of Cacharies. For an hour there is nothing but wrangling 

 and fighting, and it is no use to leave the camp till each coolie 



NATIVES OF THE COUNTRY, DOOARS, ASSAM, IN SEARCH OF RUBBER. 



From a Photo by P. Surges, Esq. 



has started with his load, or the chances are it will be left 

 behind. I would advise no one to go on a shooting trip in 

 Assam who cannot muster enough elephants to be altogether 

 independent of manual labour. It is heart-rending work to 

 have anything to say to the wretched inhabitants. I had 

 enough elephants for my own use, but in all my trips my 

 comrades were dependent on me for everything, carriage 

 included, so shooting in companionship entailed considerable 



