Jtjlt 16, 



SCIUWCU. 



51 



the journey of A. K. in the report of two years 

 ago. 



Prominent among the additions to our geo- 

 graphical knowledge is the survey made by the 

 officers of the Afghan commission of the country 

 between Quetta and Kuhsan on the Perso-Afghan 

 frontier. This independent traverse was for a 

 distance of 767 linear miles without a break. The 

 Helmund valley was mapped up to the Hamun ; 

 and Major Holdich, with his assistants Captains 

 Gore and Talbot, has plane-tabled an extent of 

 15,000 square miles in this part of Afghanistan. 

 But the most distinct achievements of the year 

 were attained on the northern and eastern fron- 

 tiers of India. Colonel Woodthorpe's trip across 

 the Patkai range to the villages of the friendly 

 Bor Kamptis, in the valley of the western branch 

 of the Irrawaddy, was a j)erilous but successful 

 attempt to cai*ry one stage further the examina- 

 tion of the country beyond the north-east frontier. 

 The history of this tour is given by Major C. R. 

 Macgregor in the appendix, which consists of the 

 narratives on which Colonel De Pree has based 

 his general report. The country through which 

 the expedition had to pass en route to the Kampti 

 villages was the scene of many Singpho depreda- 

 tions ; and more than one place was indicated by 

 the guide as having witnessed the massacre of 

 helpless Kampti traders, and fear of the Singphos 

 was generally assigned as the cause of the absence 

 of trade between the Brahmaputra and Irrawaddy. 

 At Langnu, the first Kampti village, the party, 

 after some not unnatural hesitation considering 

 it was a surprise visit, was favorably received, 

 and made the acquaintance of representatives of 

 several new tribes, such as the Marus, who are 

 extremely poor and live on x'oots in some hills 

 south of the Namkiu valley, and the Kunnungs, 

 described as a gentle and pleasant-looking people 

 with melodious voices. In the country of the 

 latter, silver-mines exist, which supply the whole 

 of this region with coin and ornaments. Just as 

 the Singphos raid on the Kamptis, a people called 

 the Singlengs plunder the Kunnungs, and seU those 

 they capture as slaves to the Tibetans. At Lang- 

 dao the party was obstmcted ; but the people 

 were pacified by fair words and the present of 

 some rupees to propitiate their ' Nats.' Near this 

 village Colonel WoodthoriDe crossed the Irrawaddy 

 or Namkiu, which at this pomt is only eighty-five 

 yards broad and not deep. China is known as 

 Khe Moung, and the tribes only resort there — 

 a journey of a month and eight days — for the 

 Ijurpose of buying opium ; and that not so often 

 as formerly, because Assam opium is found to be 

 better and more easily procurable. The explorers 

 received a polite message from Lukun, the head 



chief of the Kamptis, to visit him in his capital 

 of Padao. The chief is described as ' a fine-look- 

 ing shrewd old fellow,' who originally came from 

 Bhamo, and whose assistance will prove of great 

 utility in exploring the country beyond his terri- 

 tory in the direction of the silver-mines. The 

 return journey across the Patkai range was at- 

 tended with great difficulty and peril, as the 

 rivers were flooded, and supplies were almost ex- 

 hausted. In fact, when the expedition joined a 

 party sent out to relieve them, they were on the 

 verge of starvation. Major Macgregor expresses 

 the opinion that the idea of a trade-route to 

 China from Assam is any thing but a visionary 

 one ; and the more knowledge we acquu-e about 

 the tribes of this region, the more reasonable does 

 it appear that there may, after aU, be a short 

 route between Assam and the province of 

 Szchuen. 



Captain Wahab's narrative of the Baluchistan 

 operations is chiefly interesting for its reference 

 to the passes in that country between the fertile 

 planes of Kachhi and Khelat proper. The Gazak 

 pass, which leads direct to the Khan's capital, 

 will be sm-veyed later on ; but farther north the 

 Vehova pass has been examined, with the result 

 that it has been found a good road, passable for 

 laden camels, and with good water, grass, and 

 fuel. The writer calls attention to the great 

 change that has taken place in the security of 

 the district through which the Pishm railway is 

 now being constructed. A few years ago this 

 was one of the most lawless tracts on the frontier : 

 now camps of coolies are scattered along the 

 whole line quite unguarded, and apparently as 

 secure as if they were in India. 



Colonel Tanner's account of the Himalayan 

 survey is very interesting reading ; and his forced 

 march across the Lipu Lek pass brought him into 

 direct contact with a Tibetan Jongpen or govern- 

 or, who used plain language regarding the at- 

 tempts of the English to enter his country. He 

 said, "We are not angry at your coming this 

 once, but we never wish to see you again. Om- 

 government dont allow the English in Tibet, but 

 you one and all try to push your way past om- 

 frontier posts." If this expresses the Tibetan 

 view of the subject, it is to be feared that Mr. 

 Colman Macaulay has not much chance of suc- 

 ceeding in his mission. Colonel Tanner gives a 

 graphic description of the village of Budi — the 

 most delightful place he had seen in the Hima- 

 layas — and of the terrors of the Nirpania-kidanda, 

 or waterless spur, which occurs between the Lipu 

 Lek pass and Kumaon. The most important 

 piece of work in this direction was accomplished 

 by a surveyor named R. N., under Colonel Tan- 



