1840. J Grange's Expedition into the Naga Hi/Is. 957 



and others, that the Nagas west of the Doyang river derive their origin 

 from an union of the Cacharee and Naga tribes, and that in former days 

 the Nagas were far away beyond the Doyang river. The Nagas them- 

 selves acknowledge an origin from the Cacharee tribe, and on that ac- 

 count they used not to decapitate the Cacharee prisoners they made, 

 to obtain ransom (?) which they invariably did with the Nagas that 

 fell into their hands. Their unusual custom of not acknowledging any 

 regular chief amongst themselves, tends greatly to confirm that 

 statement, as the Lotah, Nimsang, and other Nagas on the east of the 

 Doyang river, I am informed, have regular chiefs, besides a chief over 

 a number of villages. The scantiness of the present Cacharee popula- 

 tion may therefore be accounted for by their having been partly 

 absorbed in the surrounding tribes, and their emigrations to all 

 parts of Assam. 



The Cacharees attribute the desolation of their country to (what 

 they call) their innocence and simplicity of character, and the superior 

 cunning of the Ahoms, of whose magic powers they have many tradi- 

 tional stories ; certain it is, that Dhemapore must have been the seat 

 of a considerable population in former days. 



The appearance of the lands about, are of the richest description, 

 and they have been much extolled by all persons who have seen them. 

 The country is high, and not liable to be inundated by any rise of the 

 river, with undulations and small hillocks at different places ; there are 

 a few marshes and low lands on the banks of the river, which are very 

 rich, and well adapted to low land crops ; but the products most likely 

 to be suited to the higher growers, are tea, coffee, sugar, tobacco, 

 cotton, wheat, &c., and all kinds of vegetables. There are a great 

 number of animals of all descriptions about Dhemapore, and those 

 that came under my observation, were the elephant, rhinoceros, tiger, 

 buffalo, hog, and deer ; there is also a great number of birds of many 

 varieties of plumage, and several kinds of lizards. 



There is a Mora Dhunsiri a short way to the south-east, along which 

 we discovered by the cut twigs a wild animal's track, used by the 

 Nagas, leading from Sumboogoding towards Tokophen, by which it is 

 evident that they have hitherto been in the habit of communicating 

 with that village, and no doubt have been one of the parties engaged 

 in annoying the Rengma Nagas. The latter complain both of the 



