464 'Narrative of an Expedition into |~June, 



about five hundred or six hundred yards wide ; in our front stood 

 the village on a hill, behind which were the high peaks of the great 

 range; on our left were more low hills, and on our right, a wood 

 with a river behind ; in the centre of the plain there was a stone Chu- 

 bootar to which I advanced and sat down. I then perceived Ikkaree, 

 whom I knew immediately by the red collar round his neck edged 

 with human hair. I had heard that this was the distinguishing 

 marks of these chiefs, from their villagers. Ikkaree was sitting on a 

 heap of stones ready to fly up the hill, if there was occasion ; he did 

 not however come till after many calls from his people and my threa- 

 tening to return, when he came up rather sulkily, with a red spear in 

 his hand, which I commanded him to leave behind. This being 

 done, he came along cautiously and sat on the Chubootar, continually 

 looking behind for a clear coast for a bolt, and had I given but a 

 single halloo, he would have been off like a shot; his own men even 

 abused his timidity. On getting a little confidence he commenced boast- 

 ing of his cunning, &c. which I soon stopped, by telling him that 

 if I chose at that moment I could walk him off to the camp, but that 

 I had promised him safety, and that he need have no fear; on this he 

 seemed very anxious to depart, but I made him take oath not to mo- 

 lest in future the Honorable Company's subjects, which ceremony was 

 administered in the most simple and the rudest manner, for it merely 

 consisted in his holding one end of a spear and I the other whilst it 

 was cut in two, each retaining his bit. Ikkaree was wanting to be 

 off before it took place, but I made him remain, and thrust the bit of 

 iron into his hand when half cut, and made him hold it till it was cut 

 through, so that he might have the full benefit of the sanctity of the 

 oath ; — it is considered one of the greatest oaths amongst these sa- 

 vages. He promised to send rice next day, and departed much like a 

 jackall, looking round every second step. He is a fine specimen of a 

 brigand, tall and slight, and made for activity, of a brown colour ; he 

 has small black eyes, in one of which there is a cast, black whiskers and 

 mustaches, and a savage sneer always playing on his lips. He is at 

 variance with many of his own tribe, and is a most cold-blooded mur- 

 derer ; he wore on his neck a collar made of red coloured goat hair, and 

 ornamented with conch shells and tufts of the hair of the persons he 

 had killed on his expeditions. I returned to camp, and the Tukquoge- 

 nam people brought us rice, but said they could not afford any more. 



March 9th. Bahoota came down, and said something about Im- 

 paisjee having arrived, which proved false. On the Mohurir Ram 

 Doss going up, he reported that he had met the interpreter on the 

 road, who feared to go up to the village as there was a body of men 



