1883.] S. E. Fciil—JSTotcs of a trip up the Billing. 25 



the houses were in good repair, the chief's especially, there was a look of 

 substantial prosperity about the place, and the houses were mostly in a 

 regular row on each side of a wide sort of road, the Gam's at the eastern 

 end. Not desiring to camp actually in the village where dogs and pigs are 

 a nuisance, we descended east to the river, and found just enough sand to 

 pitch the tents on in a depression of the bed now dry. In the evening I 

 sent the guide up with a pocket flask filled, for the Gam, and a smaller one 

 for his son, also to explain matters a little, as otherwise the visit might be 

 unintelligible. In the morning he came down, with some of his people, 

 and I at once saw in him the best Singphu chief I had seen so far. 



He was above the average in height, and proportion, about 40 to 45 

 years old and held himself upright without any affected airs. Features 

 large and strongly cut, but a quiet kindly and shrewd look, that became 

 him as the " father " of all his people, old and young. The only differ- 

 ence in his clothes, being, that his were quite clear. In speaking I could 

 see that what he said was generally to the point, and well weighed. Alto- 

 gether he was by far the best sample of what a chief should be that I 

 had met. From where we stood he pointed out on the hill just above us, 

 the clumps of Wra bamboo growing now, that were planted by the Dapha 

 Gam, at his village, which was on the hill. 



The difficulty of reaching Bor Kamtl he explained, and confirmed 

 what others said, as to the likelihood of having snow on the passes, which 

 all these people seem to consider a formidable obstacle. From Bishi to 

 Dapha Pani, is usually two days, thence to Khomong (last Singphu village 

 east) another five ; from Khomong the path leaves the Dihing (or as these 

 people call it Diyun Kha) and crossing the Songsan Bum (which I believe 

 is a southern prolongation of Phungan Bum) reaches and goes down the 

 " Mung lang Kha," or " Nam lang" and over other spurs to the Bor Kamti 

 villages. Another eight or ten days, or total from Bishi to Mung Kamti 

 about fifteen days. The path beyond Khomong he declared difficult, and 

 said it went large part of the way up or down gullies, that practically there 

 really was no track or path at all, the danger to a party like ours being, 

 that if any accident occurred, we should certainly run short of pro- 

 visions. 



All parties going to or coming from Bor Kamti had to carry at the 

 least ten days' provisions, and this made the journey between those places 

 difficult to those carrying loads for sale or barter like daos. 



The difficulty of transport of a Commissariat indeed we saw now our- 

 selves, for I had to ask the Gam for three men to carry rice for us to 

 Dapha Pani, as I calculated I should be absent from Bishi fourteen days, 

 and get no supplies elsewhere meantime. Knowing that the Singphus and 

 Kamtis when travelling cover great distances compared to what I should 

 4 



