26 S. E. Feal—JVofes of a trip up the BiMng. [No. 1, 



do on a trip like this, I allowed double their time, en route, and for six 

 days to camp at the Dapha Pani, total fourteen days. 



The Gam and his people had an idea that Europeans cannot walk or 

 climb, and spoke of the difficulty I should meet in surmounting Nchong 

 Bum, that we saw lying as a ridge across the end of the valley eastward, 

 which from Bishi, again opens out as a wide flat tract with low hills on 

 each side. I had an idea that I could get along better than they expected 

 but kept this to myself and was glad of it, as I thereby had a key to the 

 difficulties of the route in other places, I here had to bargain for more rice 

 and found that they would only take opium in exchange, at the rate of six 

 seers rice per tola of opium, but as the local rate for opium was eight 

 annas and twelve annas on our return, and mine was bought at 5^ I did 

 not lose so much. 



Money is thought less of, as the rubber trade enables them to earn it 

 easily at times for Re. 1, and even, if lucky, Rs. 2 a day, and I have heard 

 of a Naga making at the rate of Rs. 4 a day for a week. 



A lot of women and girls and boys came to see the big telescope, and as 

 it magnified to one hundred diams. (if necessary) were pretty much astonish- 

 ed ; the binoculars, and a smaller telescope were also in request. 



The Gam was much struck with the revolver, and its range which I 

 could shew him by firing down the river. The little M. H. Carbine also 

 as usual was a surprise to them all. 



In the afternoon I paid a short formal visit to the Gam's house, ere 

 he went out to the people fishing. I noticed the elephant ropes or phands, 

 hung in his roof that are occasionally used hereabouts by the Mutfcok 

 Gosain. The ploughs also, four or five, were all slung up in a row so that 

 a little smoke might help to preserve them from the attacks of insects, the 

 Chinese cast iron socks all removed and stowed in doors. His wife was a 

 homely and sturdy woman with no pretensions to beauty, though she was 

 evidently a good house-keeper by the number of hens, and their nests I 

 saw, and the various odds and ends I could see from the outer compart- 

 ment, beyond which I did not go. The total length of the house might be 

 90 or 100 feet by 30 and divided into many compartments in which the 

 various members of the one family live ; a strapping big daughter was mar- 

 ried to a Singphu who lives with them, and who was nursing a youngster. 

 The Gam's brother lives in the next house, also a good one. 



Having arranged regarding the rice, some vegetables, and three men 

 extra, also about leaving a few of my boxes, with stores for the return 

 journey, in the Gam's charge, we went down to camp again, I had a long 

 talk with an old man who spoke Asamese. Next morning after weighing 

 out the rice and tying it up, settling the loads which the Singphus shirked 

 (as usual), issuing a little tobacco to the ladies, old and young, who came to 



