1841. ] Despatch from Lieut. H. Bigge. 131 



a large portion of the cotton, they brought down for sale, acting, it- 

 would appear from this, more as merchants than the actual growers. 



The country of these Abors, they described as being due south from 

 their hills, but they said distant 2 months' journey, an obvious error, as 

 such a distance would take them far to the south of Munnipore. As the 

 name of this tribe was also made use of by the Rengmah Nagas (inha- 

 biting the hill between those of the makers of Nagong and the Dhunsiri) 

 I may hereafter be able perhaps to make myself better acquainted with 

 their position, though this tribe also seem to fear them fully as much as 

 the Lotahs. 



In appearance, the Lotah Nagas are of a short, though stout build, and 

 some of them by no means ill-looking ; they wear no more clothing 

 than their brethren of other parts, and are alike filthy in their persons 

 and habits, and have a pompous mode of addressing one, which might in 

 some cases be interpreted as insolent. I shewed them some clasp knives, 

 I took down with me for the purpose, at which they laughed, and sneer- 

 ingly remarked, ' of what use were they? Naga requires only a dhan, 

 and his spears ; such things are of no use or value to us :' before quitting 

 this race, I may as well observe that they carry away about 12 or 1,300 

 maunds of salt annually, in exchange for cotton, so that their trade may 

 be deemed equal to near 10,000 mds. of cotton in all. 



There are several merchants, chiefly Kyahs, from Marwar, established 

 at Golah ghaut, besides Musselmans from Goal para, but so little trade is 

 there for any thing besides cotton, that 1 was unable to procure a brass 

 pot of any sort ; woollens and every other descriptions of cloth are alike 

 unsought for, their stock in trade being composed entirely of salt. 



A large quantity of iron being found and manufactured in the neigh- 

 borhood of Golah ghaut, the Nagas obtain their dhans chiefly from hence, 

 the price of which appeared to me very high, being 4 as. each, and the 

 iron fetching as much as 8 Rs. per maund, unwrought; the quantity an- 

 nually manufactured, I was unable to ascertain. 



Leaving Golah ghaut in company with Mr. Herring who had joined me 

 from Bishnath, by appointment, we passed through a long belt of dense 

 forest to the Nambur Nuddie, about 10 miles, for the purpose of visiting 

 together the salt springs, and lime stone rocks, which are found on its 

 banks. The camp was formed for the night on a small sand bank, round 

 which the river ran, and in the centre of which was the salt spring, or, 

 called by the natives, on account of the heat, the Jucung poong or hot 

 springs. 



