1838.] Further information on the gold washings of Assam. 625 



The gold is washed for in all streams during the months of Maug, 

 Falgoon, and Choit, and also in a few streams in the month of Assin 

 and Cartick, but during 4 days in each the sonwals do no work, viz. at 

 the new and full of the moon, on the first of the month and on a gene- 

 ral holiday all natives have once a month called ekadosee, (the 11th.) 



The Kacharee sonwals use the same instruments as above. 



The Rydengeea Phookun's sonwals burn the copat leaf and thus 

 produce gold from the ashes as written above. 



The gold-washers in the Seedang dry the moss and slime and then 

 wash it in the usual manner. 



This is the way in which gold is washed, which is so uncertain that 

 an unfortunate set of men sometimes get only about a tolah after a whole 

 months labor. 



IV. — Further information on the gold washings of Assam, extracted 

 from Capt. Hannay's communications to Capt. Jenkins, Agent 



to the Governor General in Assam. 



It is the general belief of the inhabitants of the surrounding coun- 

 tries, that the rivers of the valley of Assam abound in gold, and this is in 

 a manner corroborated by the numbers of the inhabitants of Assam, who 

 are gold-washers by profession ; and judging from this fact, and the 

 compacts which existed between the gold-washers, and the state in 

 regard to revenue payments, the quantity of gold received into the public 

 treasury must have been considerable. 



The gold-washers of Assam are designated sonewahls, but as they 

 were distributed in different parts of the country and placed under the 

 authority of Phokans, Boorooahs, and other chiefs, they were generally 

 known only by the names of the " Khel" or tribe of chief, under whom 

 they resided. They were of all the classes and castes found in Assam, 

 the Beheeahs (a tribe of A horns), and the Cassarees, being however the 

 most numerous. The sonewahl Cassarees, who formerly occupied 

 Sydiah and its vicinity, were a distinct class from those residing, as 

 before mentioned, under the orders and authority of different chiefs ; 

 they were entirely under the orders of the raja himself, and they supplied 

 him with gold when called upon to do so. 



The whole of the rivers* in Assam contain (as formerly noticed) 



metal has to be reduced in the first instance to very thin leaves to allow the 

 muriatic acid fumes to penetrate and unite with the alloy. — Ed. 



* A list has been given in the foregoing paper; but many names differ: 

 Capt. II. states that in fact it comprehends all the rivers and torrent streams 

 in Assam. — Ed. 



4 i 2 



