﻿OF ASAM. 175 



mountains are strong, have a robust and respectable 

 appearance, and are of the middling size. Their com- 

 plexions, like those of the natives of all cold climates, 

 are red and white ; and they have also trees and fruits 

 peculiar to frigid regions. Near the fort of Jum 

 Dereh, which is on the side of Goivahutty, is a chain 

 of mountains, called the country of Dereng ; all the 

 inhabitants of which resemble each other in appear- 

 ance, manners, and speech, but they are distinguish- 

 ed by the names of their tribes, and places of resi- 

 dence. Several of these hills produce musk, kataus*, 

 bhoat -f,peree, and two species of horses, called goont 

 and tanyans. Gold and silver are procured here, as in 

 the whole country of Asam> by washing the sand of the 

 rivers. This, indeed, is one of the sources of revenue. 

 It is supposed that 12,000 inhabitants, and some say 

 20,000, are employed in this occupation ; and it is a 

 regulation, that each of these persons shall pay a fixed 

 revenue of a tola % of gold to the Raja. The peo- 

 ple of jisam are a base and unprincipled nation, and 

 have no fixed religion. They follow no rule but that 

 of their own inclinations, and make the approbation 

 of their own vicious minds the test of the propriety 

 of their actions. They do not adopt any mode of 

 worship practised either by Heathens or Mohammedans ; 

 nor do they concur with any of the knolvn sects which 

 prevail amongst mankind. Unlike the Pagans of 

 Hindustan^ they do not reject victuals which have been 

 dressed by Muselmans j and they abstain from no flesh 



* Kataus is thus described in the Barbaun Katea : " This word, 

 *' in the language of Rum, is a sea-cow ; the tail of which is hung 

 '* upon the necks of horses, and on the summits of standards. 

 ■' Some say that it is a cow which lives in the mountains of 

 *' Kkata." It here means the mountain-cow, which supplies the 

 tail that is made imo dowries ; and in Sanscrit is called cbamara. 



t Bboat andferee are two kinds of blanket. 



j Eighty nti-w&ghts. Seepage 154, note* 



