834 Tour over that part of the Naga Hills [No. 167. 



After meeting the Kolabaria and Karee Chiefs, and taking agreements 

 from them, we moved on the 11th to Samsa, reaching it in about 3 

 hours : this is a considerable village, standing on the ridge which se- 

 parates the Jazee and the Deesaee. Passing through the village, we 

 descended rapidly, and in about an hour reached the huts that had been 

 erected for us on the Sohopanee, a pretty large stream, flowing into the 

 Deesaee. The road from Kolabaria to Samsa is easy. 



We remained encamped on the Sohopanee for the three following 

 days, during which, I met the Chiefs of Nowgong, Loomtrya, Samsa, 

 Bor Doobiya, Jafoo, Moonjee, and Aliepa. The Nagas come down here 

 in very large numbers, and I was somewhat fearful of an outbreak ; for 

 a great many of the Chiefs were in a state of intoxication, and appeared 

 to have very little control over their followers. We saw a marked dif- 

 ference in this respect here, and as we went on westward ; hitherto we 

 had found the Chiefs sober, and their orders readily obeyed ; but hence- 

 forward we were to meet with nothing but drunken rabbles. In each 

 village there are dozens of aspirants for power, and we had daily to 

 witness brawls between them that threatened to be serious, and perhaps 

 lead to collision with us ; by great forbearance, however, on the part of 

 my escort, things went on as well as could be hoped for, and we com- 

 pleted our tour without any untoward occurrence. 



It may be right to mention here, an unfortunate circumstance 

 that happened last year at Taratolla, in the plains. Some Nagas of 

 Samsa had been down to trade, rather late in the season, and on their 

 return, had to cross a small stream which had been dammed up, and at 

 which about thirty or forty persons of the Non Cacharee Khel, were 

 fishing : on the Nagas driving a bullock over the dam, a squabble ensu- 

 ed, and a poor Naga was killed. At the time this occurred, a rumour 

 reached me that something of the kind had happened, and very particu- 

 lar enquiry was made into the matter. The reports of the Police, sent 

 out to investigate it, and of the Mouzadars, led to the supposition that 

 the man had died a natural death ; and as the Nagas would not then 

 come down, I was obliged to put the case by till the cold season : even 

 when I was close to the Samsa village, I could get no one who was 

 with the deceased to appear before me, but subsequently they came 

 down, and I have no reason to think, that their statement, as given 



