956 Granges Expedition into the Naga Hills. [No. 106. 



Assamese, Chokradoz settled on the Dhunsiri river, and built Dhemapore, 

 but hearing of the approach of a famous Hindoostanee warrior, called 

 Kala Par, who had been converted from the Brahmin caste to the 

 Mahomedan faith, and had become a great destroyer of Hindoo 

 images, he fled with the image of the tutelar god of the house 

 of Cachar to Myhong, in the hills, where he built a fort. Kala Par 

 not finding his foe, pillaged the place, and withdrew to his country. 

 On his retirement the Ahoms,* or Assamese, came to take posses- 

 sion of Dhemapore, but Chokrodaz not fearing his new enemy came 

 down from his retreat in the hills, and meeting an Ahom Phokun, 

 inquired of him the reason of the Ahomean invasion, to which the Pho- 

 kun replied, that they had merely come to look at the country, and that 

 the army had withdrawn, which answer satisfied the Raja ; when how- 

 ever, in fancied security he and his people laid aside their arms and 

 proceeded to encamp and cook, they were attacked by the Assamese 

 who had been laying in ambush, and not being ready to receive 

 their treacherous foe, were put to immediate flight. The Rajah, 

 with the remainder of his men, succeeded in effecting his escape 

 to Myhong, where he remained, and Dhemapore was deserted. He 

 died at Myhong, as did several of his successors, and the court 

 was afterwards removed to Kaspore in the plains. The country round 

 Dhemapore has all the appearance of having been at a prior period 

 well populated. On the right bank of the river are three large 

 tanks, two of which were excavated by the Rajah and Ranee ; they 

 are twenty cubits deep, and with the exception of a break in one 

 or two places in their banks, are quite perfect, and hardly a 

 weed is to be seen on their surfaces; they abound with fish. The 

 banks are heavily wooded, and I found several kinds of citron 

 growing on them. The wild elephants and rhinoceroses had taken up 

 their abode upon them, and use the tanks as their baths. The whole 

 country in the vicinity is covered with forest, containing very fine 

 timber of the following descriptions — Cham,^ Tetachapa,'* Ghunsiri,^ 

 Rata,^ Toon,* Awal,^ Hullok,^ and Nagaser.' I am informed by Tularam 



* Rather the conquerors of the Assamese (vide Asiatic Society's Journal No. 104) 

 these warriors devastated Assam simultaneously with the Musselmans. \Y\ 



1 Artocarpus Chaplasha ? 2 Laurus ? 3 Laurus Sassafras? 4 Cedrela Toona. 7 Mesua 



ferrea. 



No. 3 is I believe a species of Camphora. — [N. W.] 



