458 Narrative of an Expedition into QJune, 



up to revenge the attacks made on his subjects by those banditti. He 

 brought up a long ten or twelve pounder to frighten these wild people 

 with, but he found an enemy that made his great gun useless, and 

 was obliged to leave it behind in the jungles. The chief of Beren, 

 Iquijimpo, was most accommodating, and offered to sell the old cylin- 

 der for one hundred rupees. On arrival, finding the dried grass around 

 the stockade had not been removed, I set fire to it to save our enemy 

 the trouble of doing it for us, and had the good fortune to drive the 

 fire away from three sides of the stockade, when deeming all danger 

 passed from the fourth side I left some persons to finish what I had 

 begun ; but from carelessness, or a sudden gust of wind, the fire spread, 

 and the cry of houses on fire, soon made me aware of what had happen- 

 ed. I seized first the magazine and placed it out of danger, then the 

 grain was all removed, and just as the last bundle was rolled over the 

 paling the flames devoured the store house. A little cordage was burnt, 

 but no material accident or loss occurred, and all parties behaved very 

 well. The troops were drawn up in line after the removal of the stores, 

 ready to have repelled any attack the enemy might have made. I 

 sent up to the people of Beren, who were all assembled on the height, 

 to come down to re-build the camp, but they would not do so ; I there- 

 fore sent up some Shans to fire a few shots to frighten any wandering 

 Angamees from the neighbourhood, when the Beren people came 

 down and re-built our camp on the ground of the circular fort. This 

 fort was a raised knoll of earth, built up with stones to the height of 

 three feet, with a gradual slope all round. I was perfectly astonished 

 at the fine athletic mountaineers we now had to do with, and was much 

 amused at their accounts of the Angamees. The chief of Rassam 

 and Sarralo who had met us at Umbolo came down from the vil- 

 lage, and in a most mysterious manner pointed to the stream and said 

 the Angamees had poisoned it ; I replied with a smile, and the gravity 

 of his countenance ceased. I imagine the Angamees had instructed 

 him to try and frighten us out of the country by some such story. 



The two chiefs also hinted at the retreat of the Cacharee and 

 Munipooree forces sent against the Angamees, and the absurdity of 

 our attempting it. In fact they tried in every way to talk us over, 

 and boasted of their superior cunning in the most barefaced and at 

 the same time ridiculous manner. The evening we arrived, suspect- 

 ing the Angamees might favour us with a visit, I remained close 

 to the sentries till 10 o'clock, when the jingle of a shield in the jungle 

 warned us of the vicinity of our enemy. I foolishly fired a couple 

 of shots in the direction of the noise, which drove the Angamees away ; 

 had they not been thus alarmed, and had they approached, we might 



