1848.] Description of the Tomb of an Ahom Noble. 475 



I have seen the interior of another old tomb after it had been plun- 

 dered, in which was also a coffin, and the general plan of the place was 

 precisely similar to the one I have described. 



A third that I had an opportunity of seeing, differed so far as regards 

 the substitution of a bedstead highly ornamented with carved wood 

 work for the coffin ; and from this grave a small portion of the bones of 

 the head and other parts were taken out ; a great number of jars (from 

 30 to 40 of different sizes,) of the common black earthenware of Bengal, 

 and of the usual pattern, were found, and several neatly made small 

 boxes, some of which appeared to have contained articles of clothing, 

 others books or papers ; one appeared to have held a quantity of redish 

 coloring matter that might have been " Sindoor," and another had been 

 filled with miniature tools and weapons, such as spear and arrowheads, 

 hatchets, hammers and chisels ; the usual eating and cooking vessels 

 were found, and a block upon a stand that had been used for preserving 

 the shape of the turban or head-dress. From all that I can learn 

 amongst Coolies and others who have been employed in digging out those 

 graves, it appears that (Rajahs excepted) any variation from the tomb 

 I have attempted to describe, has been owing to the rank in life or 

 means of the party, causing them to be larger or smaller, stronger or 

 slighter, accordingly ; but all on nearly the same principle, and the articles 

 buried with them appear to have been invariably the personal orna- 

 ments, eating, drinking and cooking vessels of the deceased. 



I have further taken the liberty of enclosing a sketch of what is 

 traditionally said to be the ground- plan of the tomb of the older Ahom 

 Rajahs previous to the reign of Chukunpha, alias Rudra Singh, A. D. 

 1695 or A. A. 1620. This Rajah is said to have prohibited the bury- 

 ing alive of his queens, guards, attendant slaves, elephant, &c. at his 

 decease, and if this story has any foundation it would cause a material 

 alteration in the size and arrangement of the tombs, as such a number 

 of apartments would not then be required. 



The rough plan of the Rajah's tomb I drew from information given 

 me by an old Ahom villager who was pointed out to me as a man well 

 acquainted with their old customs and traditions ; he drew the plan 

 with a stick on the ground, and named each apartment, and I must say 

 that he, at least, appeared firmly to believe in the truth of what he was 

 describing to me. Some part of his story has since been corroborated 



3 T 



