480 Report of an Expedition into the Mishmee Hills. [No. 163 : 



influence over these Mishmees, I was glad to accept of their escort. I 

 therefore left my boats, and after passing over three or four miles of pebbly 

 beach that lines the banks of the Burhampooter (or Lohit as it is usually 

 called by the people in this part), I reached the road which, lead- 

 ing through the jungle that intervenes between the river and the hills, 

 ascended up to the village which is situated a short distance up the 

 acclivity on a level piece of ground well adapted for such a purpose. 

 The village of these Khamptees consists of fifteen houses, and is placed 

 on a spot of ground that some years ago was the site occupied 

 by the Mishmees, who then called it Maboling, and is watered by a 

 small hill stream named the Toolooah. Their cultivation, which is 

 rather extensive, is scattered around the village, both on the side of 

 the hill and in the plain beneath. This position has now been oc- 

 cupied by these people for the last three years, and in consequence of the 

 protection they afford to the Mishmee tribes in this quarter from the in- 

 roads of the Chullee Cuttia and Myjoo Mishmees, a great many of the 

 more influential chiefs, amongst whom I may more particularly mention 

 Prum Song, the head of the Muroo tribe, have settled in their neigh- 

 bourhood which, being much more productive than the hills in the in- 

 terior and nearer to the plains, with which they are anxious to extend 

 their trade, they find it much to their advantage to cultivate the good- 

 will of these Khamptee chiefs ; for, should these Khamptees remove from 

 this place, the whole of the Mishmees who have settled in their vicinity 

 must again flee to the sterile mountains beyond the river Tiding, and 

 forego all the advantages of trade, which from their proximity to Assam 

 they are at present enabled to prosecute with considerable gain to them- 

 selves. During my stay in this village I ascertained the height at which 

 the Burhampooter issues from the hills, to be 2049 feet above the level 

 of the sea. 



By the 3rd December all arrangements having been completed, and the 

 necessary number of people collected to carry the baggage, I left the 

 Khamptee village, and again passing down the descent entered on the 

 stony beds of the Burhampooter ; over these we passed for some miles, 

 and found the passage along them any thing but pleasant walking. On 

 arriving at the mouth of the Damai river we ascended that stream, and 

 by evening had reached the path that leads up the first range of 

 mountains. On producing my store of beads, salt, &c, I found that half a 



