1881.] . Nongyanij Lake, on the Burmese Frontier. 19 



I 



mists or clouds that swept up showed signs of parting. Suddenly below 

 us, and some way out among the clouds, we saw a patch of bright yellow, 

 and another to west, of blue, both for the moment a mystery. It turned 

 out the yellow was dead grass on the plain in sunlight, and the blue was 

 the lake. 



In a little time it had so far cleared that I secured bearings of the 

 most conspicuous features, including the peak of Maiiim, to the south- 

 west, which is just 7,000 feet high. While I made a hasty outline sketch, 

 the men struck the camp, and by 9 a. m. we were off down the path that 

 leads to the Nongyang ford and from thence via the Digurn Bum and 

 Loglai Kha, to Namyong villages in Hukong. 



After a short time, having first consulted with the Nagas, we left the 

 path and struck south through the jungle, down across deep khuds and over 

 little hills, where the load-carriers had a job to get along, especially those 

 in charge of the canoe, the incline in many places being 50° and 60° from 

 the horizontal. But Niigas are at home in the jungles, and soon piloted 

 all of us down to the level, which we reached far sooner than we expected, but 

 found it so soft and swampy that it was too dangerous to go on, and we had 

 to return to the flanks of the smaller hills trending towards the lake. After 

 about an hour's walk we came to where the bottom was more firm and 

 sandy, and we crossed to the low wooded hills that run along the northern 

 edge of the lake, passing among which we suddenly emerged on it and had 

 a splendid view. Giving directions to pitch the camp on the little hill-side 

 facing the lake, where there are some large liingori trees, we crossed a patch 

 of reeds and stood on the actual margin. 



The Nagas, Singphiis, and Kamptis at once began some sort of puja, 

 each after his own fashion muttering away, bowing, and touching his 

 forehead with some of the water. I then had the canoe launched, but 

 they all begged me so hard not to take the gun, that I left it, and the wild 

 fowl which I saw out on the lake's opposite shore got off. One and all said 

 we should be sure to have heavy rain if I fired, or a bad storm, as the Deo 

 of the lake would be certain to be offended. So I turned the Rob Boy's 

 bow out, and felt the peculiar pleasure of being the first who had paddled 

 on that sheet of water, certainly the first who had done so in a Rob Roy. 

 As I went out I saw the margins were low all around, and no forest near, 

 except where I had started from. 



The basin of hills, beautifully reflected in the smooth water, swept 

 right round in a green-blue curve, the valley of ISTongyang extending south 

 some six or eight miles as a dead flat covered with grass and scrub. The 

 whole bottom of the valley was flat, except where three small tree-covered 

 hills stood like islands in the sea of grass east of the lake. The banks were 

 so low and flat all around that I could see a considerable way inland from 



