194 Account of the Mountain Tribes [April, 



origin, and appear designedly nature as the great highways of commerce 

 between the nations of Ultra Gangetic Asia. In that quarter, our for- 

 midable neighbours, the Burmese, have been accustomed to make their 

 inroad into Assam ; there, in the event of hostilities, they are certain 

 to attempt it again ; and there, in case of its ever becoming necessary 

 to take vengeance on the Chinese, an armed force embarking on the 

 Brahmaputra could be speedily marched across the intervening country 

 to the banks of the greatest river of China, which would conduct them 

 through the very centre of the celestial empire to the ocean. 



This beautiful tract of country, though thinly populated by strag- 

 gling hordes of slowly procreating barbarians, and allowed to lie 

 profitless in primeval jungle, or run to waste with luxuriance of vege- 

 tation, enjoys all the qualities requisite for rendering it one of the 

 finest in the world. Its climate is cold, healthy, and congenial to 

 European constitutions ; its numerous crystal streams abound in gold 

 dust, and masses of the solid metal : its mountains are pregnant with 

 precious stones and silver ; its atmosphere is perfumed with tea 

 growing wild and luxuriantly ; and its soil is so well adapted to all 

 kinds of agricultural purposes, that it might be converted into one 

 continued garden of silk, and cotton, and coffee, and sugar, and tea, 

 over an extent of many thousand miles. 



This valuable tract of country is inhabited by various races, several 

 of which have acknowledged our authority, some that of the Burmese, 

 and others that of China ; but a considerable number have sworn 

 allegiance to no power ; and maintain their independence. Of these 

 tribes the most considerable are the Miris, Abors, Mishmis, Kang- 

 tis, Bor-Kangtis, Singphos, Muamarias, and Nagas. 



Miris. 

 The Miris occupy that stripe of alluvial land along the northern 

 bank of the Brahmaputra, from the large island Majuli (the extreme 

 boundary of the present Rajah of Assam), to the river Dihong the 

 northern branch of the Brahmaputra ; and are bounded on the north 

 by the hill country of the Abors. Till of late years, this district was 

 deserted on account of the ravages of the Abors ; but on our afford- 

 ing them protection, the original inhabitants have returned. The land 

 is still very thinly populated, and the only cultivation is along the 

 banks of the great river. Their head village is Motgaon. The 

 manners and habits of the Miris are wild and barbarous, their per- 

 sons filthy and squalid ; they use a language different from the Assa- 

 mese, and make use of bows and poisoned arrows as a defence against 

 their enemies. They are expert marksmen ; and the poison used is so 



