1883.] S. E. Fesil—JVofes of a trip up tie Billing. 21 



if viewed from either river or the central ground. A leading feature in the 

 case is that for some distance down, either the No or Buri Dihing, there 

 are frequent rapids with a fall at each of several feet, the channels in both 

 cases lying well helow the general level of the wide shingle flats on which 

 the river divides, but quite an infinitessimal fraction of the total imter-way 

 as seen in the ** rains." Thus while it might be possible by considerable 

 expenditure of labour at the end of the rains to increase the flow down one 

 particular river, as the Buri Dihing, by removal of shingle at the first and 

 second rapid, at the fork, al] this work would be quite obliterated by the 

 ensuing floods of next year, which shifts the shingle and fills all depres- 

 sions. The possibility of so far altering the channel as to render floods of 

 extraordinary height likely is very remote. This indeed is not possible 

 physically as long as the No Dihing outlet exists, only if this were com- 

 pletely closed (as it was originally) extraordinary floods might occur, (due 

 to upper Dihing water) and for such occasions the Asam Rajas provided 

 the bunds or Mataoris we see lower down along each side of the river some 

 way in. If these are kept in repair there need be no alarm felt by residents 

 on the Buri Dihing. On the contrary if they have anything to fear, it is 

 that the whole river at least above Namrup may eventually take to the No 

 Dihing branch and aggravate the present difficulty regarding water in the 

 cold season. 



Those who look at this question must remember that in " the rains" 

 there is no liklihood of water being too low, the northern drainage from 

 Patkai on which rain falls freely from the Namsang sources to those of the 

 Namrup would alone give ample. It is in the cold season when the Tirap, 

 Namtsik, and Namrup run dry, that the more elevated sources of the Diyun 

 Kha and Daphapani hold good, and from whence a large proportion of the 

 Buri Dihing water comes. The natural tendency would seem for this 

 upper Dihing water to flow more and more via the No Dihing and cut off 

 these cold weather sources from the old channel. 



Early next morning as expected, I had a fine view in dark outline of 

 the Dapha Bum, and the ranges beyond to the south-east, called by us 

 Phungan Bum, the crest of the latter remarkable for its rugged and tur- 

 retted skyline as seen through the large telescope at dawn with a power of 

 100. Both groups were more or less snowed, and the crests presented 

 the decided, rugged, and hard outlines indicative by its texture, of bare 

 rock, which hereabouts is one key to elevation. 



As the light increased the view became better, to the south-east rose 

 Miao and Wahambo over 5,000 feet wooded to the tops, and their lower 

 spurs flanking the wide flat valley on that side. In the distance due east, 

 lay the N'chong Bum, at the foot of which flowed the Dihing, behind it being 

 the Phungan group. Towards the left rose the series of peaks culminating 



