1836. J on the extreme N. E. Frontier of Bengal. 195 



fatal, that even a scratch of their arrow is followed with certain death. 

 They eat all sorts of wild animals, not excepting those killed hy their 

 own poisonous arrows. 



The Miris are an industrious race, and partial to living in the 

 skirts of the forests, clearing new ground, which they cultivate for a 

 year or two, and then move off to another place, when the soil is 

 exhausted. A great deal of opium is grown by the Miris, which 

 they barter for grain with the Assamese. 



Abors and Mishmis. 



These tribes inhabit an extensive range of mountainous country along 

 the southern exposure of the great Himalaya chain, from the 94th to 

 the 97th degrees of E. longitude, and border with Thibet and China. 

 It is difficult to form a conception of the extent of these tribes, but 

 they are not to be despised ; for during the insurrection of the Muama- 

 rias, no less than 17,000 Abors joined to drive that tribe out of 

 Assam. It is probable that at no ancient period these two tribes were 

 unconnected, but the Mishmis are now considered by the Abors as 

 dependent upon them, and treated as slaves. Besides the Mishmis 

 here mentioned as subservient to the Abors, there are several other 

 tribes of them ; such as Muzu-Mishmis and Taen-Mishmfs, inha- 

 biting the extreme branches of the Lohit or eastern channel of the 

 Brahmaputra, who are probably independent. These tribes possess 

 one of the lowest grades of civilization ; they occupy numerous vil- 

 lages along the precipitous shores of the two great northern branches 

 of the Brahmaputra, the Dihong or Sampo, and the Dibong. Their 

 houses are so constructed, that the perpendicular side of the rock 

 forms one wall : the floor is made of bambus, with one side support- 

 ed on the rock, and the other on beams driven into the ground. The 

 space underneath is inhabited by the cattle, and the interstices in the 

 floor afford the double advantage of showering down all the offal to 

 the herd below, and preventing the accumulation of filth and nastiness. 



Hospitality. — Though the snows of their mountain home have 

 narrowed their means of subsistence, and limited their intercourse to their 

 immediate neighbours, yet they are a hospitable and even a social race ; 

 and a constant round of festivity is kept up from one end of the year 

 to the other. Each chieftain kills the fatted bullock in turn ; all his 

 associates are invited to partake of the good cheer : the host is in his 

 turn a guest at the next feast ; and thus a reciprocity of entertain- 

 ment is insured. Nor are these hospitable rites allowed to be forgot- 

 ten ; the scull of every animal that has graced the board, is hung up 

 as a record in the hall of the entertainer ; he who has the best stocked 

 2 c 2 



