1881.] Nongyang Lake, on the Burmese Frontier. 3 



At one spot a picturesque pile of rocks, capped by forest trees, divides 

 the stream equally, and is called " Hifca Tatol, from Sita's tat-hal, the 

 weaving-hall in which Sita was found by Earn. 



Here and there we passed camps of people who were cutting bamboos 

 to raft down to Jaipur for building, also native boats of the usual small 

 dug-out pattern. Having the Bob Bog, I was enabled to paddle ahead or 

 stay behind sketching, and at one place made a small careful memo, of a 

 huge dead rubber-tree that had fallen over into the river, — the trunk and 

 branches resembled a huge dragon. 



As rain appeared to be coming on, we camped early at a large high 

 sand-bank, near a rapid called Digoli Gagori. In a very short time we 

 were all comfortably housed, fires blazing under the cooking-pots, and a 

 pile of dry logs got in ready for the night-fire. Our three tents and the 

 boatmen's bivouac were generally so placed as to form a cross, the openings 

 facing a log-fire in the centre, that was at once light and heat for all. 

 The assembling round this camp-fire every evening after dinner was generally 

 looked forward to all day. Here we met strangers, heard the local news 

 or stories, the inexhaustible Mung generally giving us the traditions, often 

 illustrated by very creditable maps in the sand. Villagers, if near, always 

 joined our circle, enabling me to collect a large amount of information, or 

 explain the objects of my trip, which is an item of some moment in cases 

 of this nature. 



The monotonous rush of the rapid at last was the only sound heard. 

 The night turned out cold and foggy. Once the echoing bark of the little 

 hog-deer roused me, and I put the logs together that had burnt apart. 

 In the early morning the dew-fall was sufficiently heavy to be audible 

 several hundred yards off, the moisture condensed on the higher foliage 

 falling like a steady slow shower on the dried leaves on the ground. Ere 

 starting at 9 A. M. I made all the people cook and eat their breakfasts. At 

 10 a. m. we passed the mouth of the Namsang river on our right (but the 

 left bank of the river). It rises among the hills of the Namsang Nagas, 

 and near its mouth is a small tea-garden. 



More or less scattered up and down the river Dihing, there are names 

 and traditions that unmistakably indicate this as the old Ahom route to and 

 from Burma, — a highway of the past. The earlier portions of the " History 

 of the Kings of Assam," detailing the Ahom invasions, clearly enough 

 point to the Dihing river as the line of entry, and Nongyang as the part of 

 the Patkai where they crossed, the name Patkai having originated there. 



About 11 a. m. we came to Noralota, a tree-covered ridge jutting 

 into the Dihing river, which derives its name from Nora-ulota, i. e., Nora's 

 returned. In November 1228 A. D. Sukapha Raja coming to Assam from 

 Munkong with 1,080 men, 2 elephants and 300 ponies, brought also " Chum 

 Deo" (unknown to the owner) Noisanpha Nora Roja of Munkong, Noisanpha 



