1837,] the Mishmee hills in Assatn. 335 



chiefly of Singpho manufacture ; the poor classes contenting them- 

 selves with those made from bamboo. 



Granaries. I should have mentioned that the produce of their fields 

 is kept in small granaries, at some distance from their houses : and it 

 is a regulation calculated to prevent quarrels, that each wife, (for they 

 tolerate polygamy,) has her distinct granary. Their bridges have 

 been well described by Captain Wilcox ; — the passage of that at 

 Ghaloom's which is full seventy yards in length, occupying from two 

 to two and half minutes. The articles in the greatest request among 

 them are salt, woollen clothing, pi inted cottons, and glass beads of 

 various colors. Of the existence of salt, within their own boundaries 

 they are unaware : geneially they have none. Occasionally they pro- 

 cure Lima rock salt, which is (in bulk) of a reddish color, from being 

 mixed up with a red earthy substance somewhat aromatic. For these 

 they exchange cloths of their own making, and their three staple 

 articles, mishmee -teeta, bee, and geitkeoon, which are, in fact, at present 

 the only valuable knovn products of the country. 



"With Lama they carry on an annual trade, which apparently takes 

 place on the borders of either country. In this case mishmee- teeta, 

 is the staple article of the Mishnu es, and for it they obtain dhaos or 

 straight long swords of excellent metal and often of great length ; 

 copper pots of strong, hut rough make, flints and steel, or rather steel 

 alone, which are really very neat and good; warm woollen caps, 

 coarse loose parti- colored woollen cloths, huge glass beads, generally 

 white or blue, various kind of cattle, in which Lama is represented as 

 abounding, and salts. I cannot say whether the Lamas furnish flints 

 with the steel implements for striking light ; the stone generally used 

 for this purpose by the jUishmees is the nodular production from 

 Thumathaya, — and this, although rather frangible, answers its purpose 

 very well ; with the Singphos they barter elephant's teeth, these animals 

 being found in the lower ranges, for slaves, dhavvs, and buffaloes. 



With the Khamtees they appear to have little trade, although there 

 is a route to the proper country of this people along the Ghaloom Pdnee, 

 or Ghaloom Thee of Wilcox's chart ; this route is, from the great 

 height of the hills to be crossed, only available during the hot 

 months. 



With the inhabitants of the plains they carry on an annual trade, 

 which is now renewed after an interruption of two years, exchanging 

 cloths, Lama swords, spears, mishmce-teeta, bee, which is in very 

 great request, and gertheana much esteemed by the natives for its 

 peculiar and rather pleasant smell, for money (to which they begin to 

 2x2 



