466 Narrative of an Expedition into QJune, 



just been erected, when a lad belonging to the Shans came running in 

 breathless and said he had seen two Nagas with spears and shields. 

 I immediately took a couple of Shans and went out in the direction, 

 but only met a couple of sepoys and coolies cutting wood. Returning 

 and recalling all stragglers, I found the chief of Umpoa with grain, 

 which greatly relieved the spirits of the party, as there was a good 

 chance before that of their going without their usual allowance. I 

 gave him some presents, and he returned to his village. About an 

 hour afterwards, it being evening, the men were all cooking in the 

 bed of the river, when two Nagas sneaked up through the jungle from 

 the opposite bank and threw two spears at the right flank men, one of 

 which lodged in the thigh of the dhobee and the other grazed the 

 skin of a sepoy ; the Nagas instantly fled, and several shots were fired 

 in the direction they had gone, which was all that could be done; as 

 evening was too far advanced to pursue them. Our Tukquogenam 

 guide, who had promised to show us the road to Sumoogoding, said 

 that it was the people of the village of Pepamee and Cheremee that 

 had attacked us, but I very much suspect that Ikkaree was at the 

 bottom of it, and fearing for his own village he had ordered these two 

 small villages to annoy our return; but it is very difficult to speak with 

 any degree of certainty, as the Angamees are all in clans, and each 

 village is its own master as long as its doings do not affect the great 

 chiefs. As far as I can learn in regard to the two great chiefs, 

 Impaisjee, who is the greatest, is wishing for peace, but his more ad- 

 venturous countryman, Ikkaree, is unwilling to give up his predatory 

 habits and his attacks on the Cacharees, who yield him much plunder 

 in cloths, conch shells, &c. besides what he forces them to give to 

 release any of their relatives who may have been captured in an 

 inroad, and also to ransom any skulls of their relatives; — for leaving the 

 latter in the hands of the enemy is considered amongst the Nagas a 

 very dishonorable thing. 



March 10th. The chief of Ompoa came down, and said the Nagas 

 that had attacked us were of the villages of Papamee and Cheremee, 

 but I suspect the people of Cheremee, the village we had left behind, 

 were the parties concerned. The night was extremely stormy, it rained 

 heavily and thundered and lightened, but our leafed roofs luckily did 

 not leak. We heard the Nagas around us the whole night trying 

 to sneak up, but a shot drove them off in a great hurry. They are very 

 much frightened at the report of fire-arms; they follow their enemy 

 with great perseverance till they wound or kill one or two, when they 

 run away. We left this early, and followed the course of the river for 

 about eight or nine miles, and then ascended the high ridge on the 



