836 Journal of a visit to [Mat, 



attach great value), cloths, salt and beads : when a sufficient sum of 

 money is procured, they lay it out in buffaloes and the country cattle. 



Political relations. With reference to their political relations they 

 were all — at least all those near our frontier — active supporters of 

 the Dupha Gam, to whom they rendered very effectual assistance in 

 the erection of stockades, although they declined fighting. Formerly 

 the Raja of Assam exercised almost exclusive control over them, 

 entirely, as it appears, from making their most influential chiefs trifling 

 annual presents of one or two buffaloes. With our government their 

 intercourse has, as I before mentioned, been entirely interrupted during 

 the last two years ; at present, however, they appear inclined to pay all 

 proper respect to the Assamese authorities. From the active assist- 

 ance they rendered Dupha Gam, and in the second instance to put 

 an impediment in the way of the trade of slaves, it is obviously of 

 importance to keep them in this friendly state, and this would be best 

 done by adopting the plan followed during the times of the Rajas of 

 this portion of Assam ; and with this view I would beg to direct your 

 attention to Ghaloom, Khosha, and Primsong : of these three, 

 Khosha is perhaps possessed of the greatest influence, but he is 

 getting old and inactive. The same may be said of Ghaloom, his 

 younger brother. The most active, ambitious, and enterprising man 

 is certainly Primsong, who is still young ; and as he evidently looks up 

 to the possession of the chief authority among the Gams, any favor 

 shewn to him would render him a steady friend. He is the only chief 

 I saw who is in the habit of visiting Lama. It was from materials 

 given by him that Captain Wilcox drew up that portion of his map 

 which has reference to the course of the Lohit, and it is through him 

 alone that we may look forward to becoming acquainted with the 

 country of the Lamas. He is, in fact, far superior to all the rest in 

 talents and information, and, as a proof of his activity, he has just 

 returned from the Hookum territory, where he saw Captain Hannay, 

 and whither he had no doubt followed the Dupha Gam. So long 

 indeed as the Mishmees are in relation with the Singphos, so long will 

 there be a ready way in which to dispose of slaves by the Singphos, 

 a people on whom no dependence is to be placed. At the period of 

 my visit to Khasha, I saw a slave who had been actually sold by 

 Singphos residing within our territory, within the last six months. 

 With the Dibong Mishmees they are, and always have been, engaged 

 in a war of extermination. Of this tribe, bothMooghoos and Digaroos 

 entertain the greatest fear : their inroads have caused the latter tribes 

 to forsake their haunts on the Digaroo mountains, and I am told that 



