1840,] Grange's Expedition into the Naga Hills. 963 



names of Khunomah and Konomah, the latter being the name of 

 the village of Hoplongmee, and the former of the Angamee tribe 

 and of an Angamee village. I could not obtain any accounts of 

 the origin of this singular tribe, who appear to have been a small 

 colony established in the midst of a number of tribes, who, from their 

 daring and martial character, have held all the surrounding tribes 

 in awe, and after increasing itself into three or four villages, has com- 

 pletely gained a supremacy over its neighbour, and although the latter 

 boasted of a much greater number of villages, though not so large as 

 the Angamees, and a larger tribe, they are not able to attack them 

 in return, from their want of unity and confidence. The attacks 

 of all these wild tribes are looked upon in no other light than 

 authorized martial exploits against their natural enemies, which sin- 

 gular to say, they consider all Na^as not of their own tribe. Now 

 however that they are attacked by them in return, they are becoming 

 less inclined to continue their former distant maurauding expeditions, 

 and confine themselves merely to the revenge of any injury they 

 may have, or fancy they have, received. The Dewan tribe, I imagine 

 has obtained that name from having formerly either resided on, or come 

 from beyond the Dooyang or Dewan river. 



From the village of Yang, another tribe springs up, whose dialect is 

 different from either the Angamee or Dewan Nagas, and who are called 

 by the former tribe Zamee. Beyond the Doyang, other large tribes of 

 Nagas exist ; Lotah, Nemsang, &c. &c. these tribes I am informed differ 

 from those to the west of that river, and are under their respective 

 chiefs, whose authority they acknowledge, which is contrary to the sys- 

 tem of the Thuggeemah (Dewan) and Angamees. The latter tribes when 

 about to undertake any expedition, assemble the aged and fighting 

 men of their villages to discuss the matter over, and the greatest 

 bullies generally succeed in getting their wishes adopted. 



The Nagas of these parts acknowledge the power of three gods. The 

 first is known by the name of Rapoo^ to whom they sacrifice cows and 

 bulls only. He is the chief, and has the power of killing or curing. 

 The second is called Humaadee^ to whom they sacrifice dogs ; and the 

 third RampaoWi to whom they sacrifice cocks and offer liquor. They 

 said, they had all three the power of killing or curing in different dis- 

 eases. Their marriage ceremony is nearly the same as that of the 



Rengma Nagas. 



6g 



