1881.] Nongyang Lake, on the Burmese "Frontier. 15 



for example the Dcodhaings, who came in as Ahoms in 1228, and are now 

 seen occupying a few scattered villages not far from the Disang river, in 

 the Sibsagar district. The Aitonias and the Miris also afford other 

 examples. The custom in all cases seems due to the necessity of keeping 

 the floor out of the reach of pigs and goats. 



It may be called the " Pile platform " system, and to some extent 

 marks a race distinction between Aryans and non-Aryans. It is probably 

 the same system which occurs throughout the Malay peninsula, and has 

 latterly been traced in the Swiss lake-dwellings, and present Swiss chalet. 



Among the Nagas, where houses have been built on a declivity, I have 

 seen one end of the house only a foot or so raised from the ground, while 

 the other end, supported on bamboos 30 feet long, overhung a fearful 

 gully, — the little platform at the extremity, on which the people sit out 

 and sun themselves and their children, having no rail or protection of any 

 kind. 



The people seemed very quiet and civil, but were more or less curious to 

 see our things. While they were examining them we heard a loud wail raised 

 in a house not for off, that made all mute, soon after another, and they all 

 went there in a hurry, gradually joining in the chorus. It turned out most 

 unluckily that the old headman, who had been very ill for some time, took 

 it into his head to die just after our arrival. It made my guide and Mung 

 and the three other Singphus look serious for a while Guns began to go 

 off, too close to sound pleasant, and were pointed about promiscuously ; 

 I began to think matters were getting serious, as the son, a grown 

 man, rushed about demented, yelling and slashing and cutting everything 

 within reach of his dao, — floor, walls, baskets, all got a fair share of his 

 fury, an unlucky cock that ran past lost his head, and dogs kept aloof. 



Guessing that a good deal of the rumpus was " a form of sorrow" in 

 these parts, I kept our party as unobtrusive as possible, and in about half 

 an hour the bereaved son came to me, quiet, but crying, and asked for 

 some caps, as they had a nipple-gun which they desired to use in the row. 

 On giving him a few, I remarked that had I known the old gentleman was 

 so nearly dead, I should have gone to the upper village, but he explained that 

 his death had been daily expected for some time, and I must not be put 

 out at the noise and fuss, which was their custom. He turned out after- 

 wards to be a very decent and intelligent fellow, and rendered me good 

 assistance. 



The row still going on, I took my note-book and strolled out by the 

 path towards Patkai. A fine view which I had of the Namtsik valley shewed 

 it to be wide, and filled with low rolling hills and undulating land, and 

 not nearly so steep or high as I had anticipated from the shading on the 

 Government maps, which extends as far as this village. 



