o' 



JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY 



Part I.— HISTORY, LITERATURE, &e. 

 No. IV.— 1878. 



Rough Notes on tlie Angdmi N&gds and their Language. — By Captain 

 JoHtf Butleb, B. S. C, Political Agent, Ndga Hills, Asdm. 

 (With, seven plates.) 

 Introduction. 

 Of all the numerous tribes — Garos, Khasias, Sintengs, Mikirs, Ka- 

 charis, Kukis, Nagas, Singphus, and Khamtis — inhabiting that vast tract of 

 mountainous country which hems in Asam on the south, the largest 

 numerically, as it is territorially, is the " Naga". Under this comprehensive 

 term is included the whole group of cognate races, dwelling along that 

 broad stretch of hill and upland, which, roughly speaking, is comprised be- 

 tween the Kopili River, on the west, and the Bori Dihing, on the east, 

 and which lies between the parallels of 93° and 96° East Longitude. This 

 tract extends northwards to the low hills bordering the alluvial plains of the 

 Districts of Lakhimpur, Sibsagor, and Naogaon, and overlooks the broad 

 waters of that noblest of all Indian Rivers, the sacred Brahmaputra. In 

 a southerly direction, we are at present unable to state exactly to what 

 limit it may extend. We may, however, safely say that it lies between the 

 meridians of 25° and 27° North Latitude. Our late explorations have 

 clearly ascertained, that the great Naga. race does undoubtedly cross over 

 the main watershed dividing the waters which flow north into the Brahma- 

 putra, from those flowing south into the Irawadi ; and they have also 

 furnished very strong grounds for believing that in all probability it ex- 

 tends as far as the banks of the Kaiendvven (Namtonai or Ningthi) River, 

 the great western tributary of the Irawadi. Indeed there is room even 

 to believe, that further explorations may, ere long, lead us to discover, that 

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