1883.] S. E. Fedl— Notes of a trip up the Diking. 23 



wall, or steep slope, the slightest touch often sending large boulders rolling 

 down, that started others in turn. 



One rapid we met was particularly difficult, and took us a full hour to 

 ascend, at another soon after, we cleared a channel where it was shallow, 

 and so ran the canoe up a little track fully a hundred yards. These rapids 

 at last were about four or five to the mile, and made progress slow. Later 

 in the day we suddenly met five or six Singphu women and girls out fishing, 

 and they gave us some they caught, begging in turn for some opium. 

 They were from a village called Ndong not far off. This was rather a 

 hard day's work and we camped late, viz., at dusk ; I issued some tea, how- 

 ever, which cheered them up after dinner. Just ere going to sleep we were 

 all surprised to see two Singphus appear, with some fish ; they would not 

 stay and promised to come in the morning and take me to their village. 



At dawn for a few minutes I again had a good look at the hills ere 

 the mists covered all in, and it seems true what these people say, that the 

 best time to see their hills is at the paddy- cutting, about November, or end 

 of the rains. 



While at breakfast the Singphus came and some of us started off inland, 

 crossing large flats, of river formation, sand and boulders, covered by grass- 

 es, and here and there having water-courses, now dry. After a couple of 

 miles of these island flats, we reached the land proper, though here and 

 there we still saw boulders and bedded shingle. At last we arrived at their 

 village of Khagam, which was a collection of more or less dilapidated sheds, 

 on piles. Of the large " Wra Bamboo" there are several planted clumps, 

 as usual at all Singphu villages. The people use the joints for buckets, 

 and some I measured were 20 and 21 inches in circumference, and about 

 80 feet high, growing remarkably closely in the clump. 



The enquiries for tobacco, (Sadr Dhopat) were here a positive nuisance, 

 opium and tea also, they seemed to know only too well. The large 

 number of children struck me, and I afterwards found my men had noticed 

 it also. To all appearance there may have been six or eight to each house, 

 and two to one compared to the grown people. 



^n route on we had crossed a small stream which they call the Manmo, 

 or as we should call it Bamo, and it is named from that place in upper 

 Burma. Passing on we came to another village called Phup, near which 

 I obtained the only view of the Patkai crest near the Nongyang pass. The 

 haze was considerable, but I could see that the crest towards the east was 

 lower than at the pass, and over it ran the Loglai hills that divide that 

 river from the Turong. Returning to the river near Loang I found the 

 men vainly trying to get the canoe up a bad rapid, so I decided to leave 

 her in charge of the Gam. We therefore unloaded the boat and camped. 



A very smart and intelligent young Singphu, whom I had allowed as 



