1S36.] on the extreme N. E. Frontier of Bengal. 201 



Jaipur, and allow his native hills to become a wilderness, and form a 

 natural barrier against the incursions of the other tribes. 



The population of the Busa Gaum is about 9 or 10,000 men, exclu- 

 sive of women and children. He furnishes a contingent of about 100 

 men, and is supplied with arms and ammunition. 



The most influential of the unfriendly chiefs is the Duffa Gaum. 

 Only a few months ago he made a hostile incursion against our ally 

 the Busa Gaum, and massacred every man, woman, and child he could 

 get near ; the Busa Gaum narrowly escaped with his ,life, and some of 

 his own family were cut to pieces. After two or three skirmishes, the 

 marauders were dislodged, and driven to their hills, by the force at 

 Saddia ; but the Duffa, instead of repenting of his atrocious act, and 

 retiring to his home to await the consequences, commenced playing 

 the despot in another quarter, threatening every one with his vengeance 

 who acknowledged British protection, and even beheaded some who 

 refused to conform to his will. By the latest accounts, the state of affairs 

 in that distinct were very troublesome, and the whole of the Assam 

 Infantry disposable are already on the move for its protection. 



A feud has for a long time existed between the Busa and the Duffa 

 Gaums, and the inroad lately made by the latter admits of some palli- 

 ation, as it avenged a similar one formerly made by the Busa Gaum. 



Rude as is the state of society amongst the Singphos, they are not 

 without the distinction of caste ; but are divided into Thengais, My- 

 yungs, Lub rungs, and Mirups. 



They have no religion properly their own, but have patched up a 

 creed from amongst the superstitions of all their neighbours, and deco- 

 rated their rude temples with ruder idols of all religions. 



The Singphos are not a branch of the Shan tribes : tradition traces 

 their origin to the confines of China or Thibet : the language is 

 entirely different from that of the Shans, and is unwritten. 



Polygamy is patronised, and every man keeps as many wives as he 

 chooses, free women or slaves ; and treats the offspring of both with- 

 out partiality. Infanticide in all its shapes they abhor. 



It is the custom of the country to bury the dead. Those of the 

 poorer classes are interred soon after death ; but the chiefs and prin- 

 cipal individuals are sometimes not buried for years. The reason 

 alleged for this consummation of the funeral rites, is to allow the 

 widely scattered relations of the deceased to have time to attend, who 

 would not fail to take deadly offence at their not being allowed an 

 opportunity of paying reverence to the ashes of tbe head of their family. 

 Not knowing the art of embalming, the body after death is removed 

 to a distance from any habitation, till decomposition is completed. 

 2 D 



