20 S. E. Peal — Report on a visit to the [No. 1, 



tbe canoe. Turning westwards, I began the circuit of the lake at some 100 

 yards from shore, and soon found little bays and headlands, though no sign 

 of out- or inlet. When half round, I looked across and saw the smoke of the 

 camp fires rising blue against the foliage. The water-fowl had apparently 

 crossed over there. Towards the south-east corner I passed up a channel, 

 separating banks barely a foot high, covered by a small sedge, and found I 

 was rounding the island, a very low flat patch of an acre or two in extent, 

 with some very scrubby trees on it. 



The water was here so shallow, being often barely two inches deep, 

 that had not the silt been soft I must have stuck. This silt, however, was 

 so soft and light that the paddle, held upright in it, sank in 2\ to 3 feet 

 from its own weight. Of course I got out of such a dangerous corner as 

 quickly and quietly as possible, — an upset there meant certain death. 



I was surprised to see neither stones, sand, nor clay, all was silt and 

 peat, except a little sand where I had started, the outlet was from the south- 

 east corner not far from the island. After about an hour's paddle I returned 

 for breakfast, made all snug, took some observations and memo, sketches, 

 and in the evening went out again, going nearly round, and finding several 

 inlets. The number of wild fowl must be considerable, as the edge of the 

 lake was almost everywhere denuded of sedge or vegetation for a couple 

 of feet in, and had plenty of feathers trampled in. At one place I saw 

 marks made in the bank by the two tusks of a large elephant at water- 

 level, evidently one which had got in and could not easily get out, of which 

 there were other signs beyond. Report' says there are large numbers of 

 tusks in the silt everywhere. Other tracks were very common, though no 

 game was visible, but no deer, buffalo, nor indeed any large game tracks 

 except those of elephants. 



In the evening we had some strong puffs of wind, and we made all 

 taut for the night, after dinner settling with the men who were to take turns 

 at watching. The Nagas also drew creepers and some dead branches and 

 leaves about us outside, so that anything approaching would at once be 

 heard, then we turned in and slept soundly. 



In the morning I started the five Nagas to their homes they were 

 not wanted and wished to be off, and then prepared to sketch the lake 

 and hills and get bearings. This occupied me all day, and we prepared 

 to start next morning for the Nongyang ford, where I desired to search for 

 the inscriptions in Ahom cut some 500 years ago near the ford, where the 

 road crosses. The men, however, whom I had sent ahead to find a path, 

 returned in a great mess, and declared it utterly impossible to cross the 

 valley, as the peat, or pitoni, was too soft and deep to bear their weight. 

 This was most unfortunate, and a second attempt, backed by a good prize 

 if successful, failed equally, so there was nothing for it but to return to 



