36 Remarks on the Sequel to the [Jan. 



w " *«p«*Mi<ria m The word rapirdvuis i s supposed by Dr. Vincent to signify 

 sirpeis, rendered mats made of rushes, bags or sacs. It is more proba- 

 ble, however, that tarponais is a corruption of tapas, and that it refers 

 to the baskets in which the hill people carry down their merchandize to 

 the plains. Though both Vincent and Heeren have rendered the words 

 rapn6vais <i>ixaptrc\ivwv Trapairxfaia, mats resembling in their outward appear- 

 ance the early leaves of the vine, or looking like the early branches of the 

 vine, yet they consider upainre\ivov to refer, not to the material of which 

 the mats were made, but to the articles contained in them, and which 

 are supposed by them to have been the betel-leaf and areca nut, from 

 which malabathrum was prepared. Malabathrum, however, is not betel- 

 leaf nor areca nut, but the leaves of two or more species of Cinnamomum 

 which are found in the valleys along the foot of the hills on the eastern 

 frontier of Bengal. These trees bear fruit of the shape of a small oval 

 drupe or berry, about the size of a black currant, and it is apparently to 

 the resemblance between this fruit and a young or early grape, that the 

 word anafiTreXtvuv is applied, as signifying, like the early fruit of the 

 vine. 



The Sesatse accompanied by their wives and children brought in their 

 tarponais or baskets, large loads or burthens, ((popria fieya\a) of the branch- 

 es of these trees, from the valleys in the interior, and bartered them at 

 the marts or hauts on the borders of their forests, for the produce of the 

 plains. It is mentioned that they held a feast or festival at the mart,, or 

 in other words, they feasted on the articles of food, &c. which they re- 

 ceived in exchange for their merchandize. The barter was, no doubt, 

 effected either by signs, or through persons, who, understanding their 

 language, acted as brokers on behalf of the Thinse or people of the plains 

 of Assam. This is probable from the circumstance of its being mentioned 

 that the Thinse " continued on the watch," while the Sesatae were at 

 the mart. The Thinse or Assamese merchants appear to have entrusted 

 the negotiation of their business to interpreters, while they themselves 

 remained at some distance watching the proceedings. 



The Sesatae having completed the barter, and feasted for several days 

 on the commodities they received, took their departure for their own 

 country in the interior ; or in other words, they returned to the jungles 

 of their mountain recesses ; after which, the Thinse, coming forth from 

 their place of retreat, repaired to the spot, and collected the baskets of 



