962 Grange's Expedition into the Naga Hills. [No. 106. 



8^^. Advanced to the heights before entering Hoplongmee. I 

 found some difficulty in procuring information regarding the customs 

 of the Nagas of these parts, on account of their suspicious character, 

 and fear of answering my questions, which they think might tend to 

 discover some of the exceeding cunning habits which they possess. 

 They are very fond of argument, and have recourse to it immediately 

 they become aware that they are not able to cope with their enemy 

 viet armiSf and do not scruple to resort to the most absurd falsehoods 

 to try and intimidate their opponents. 



They are, like most mountaineers, very uncleanly, and their habi- 

 tations are seldom or ever cleared of the filth of ages. The houses 

 are large, and are generally divided into two apartments, in which they 

 live and keep their grain, animals, &c. One family only resides in one 

 house. When not obliged to work, the men are lazily inclined, and 

 spend their mornings generally in sipping a species of fermented 

 liquor, but when pushed to labour, they are very active, and work very 

 cheerfully to some merry song. Their reaping song in particular 

 struck me as being exceedingly wild and pretty. They form a line of 

 men, women and children, and advance together, singing in chorus and 

 cutting down the crop. They cultivate several kinds of vetches and 

 peas, and have four or five species of rice, some grown on the mountains, 

 and some in the vales. The latter are produced on lands that have 

 been shaped out in steps and are irrigated by the innumerable streams, 

 rivulets, &c. found at the base of nearly all the mountains. "" 



They breed cows, pigs, goats, fowls, and dogs, and eat of nearly every 

 living animal ; in fact I do not know of a single exception, rats, 

 snakes, monkeys, tigers, elephants, being all equally tasteful to them. 

 I was informed that Konoma, or Hoplongmee, is composed of 300 

 houses, half of which are Angamee and half Dewan Nagas, but they 

 unite and join in all pillaging expeditions with the two Angamee 

 villages of Mozomah (Ikaree) and Khamona (Impagee), both of 500 

 houses strong. The three villages, to keep up their tie of alliance, are 

 required to give a united feast once a year, each village sending 

 a cow and other articles for the occasion. The villages at the northern 

 base of the great range are an admixture of the Angamee and Dewan 

 tribes. The Angamees are known to the Nagas by the name of 

 Khunomahy and the tribe known by the Cacharee name of Dewan sa, 

 is called Thungeemah; a difference must be observed between the 



