1845.] Visit to the Hills near the Soobanshiri River. 251 



There is a rapid, but a slight one, immediately above Pathalipam ; and 

 from this to the Hills the river is divided by wooded islands into nu- 

 merous channels : two of these islands are partly occupied by Chuttiah 

 Meris, and they are moreover a fruitful source of quarrelling among the 

 gold- washers. On one of them, called " Indoor" Majali, they brought 

 to our canoes, and commenced making preparations for halting there. 

 I protested against this, as it was not 4 o'clock ; but they asserted very 

 positively, that there was no ground on ahead fit for encamping on that 

 we could possibly reach that night, and as I liked the appearance of the 

 place, a fine shelving beach of sand and gravel, I gave my consent. 



They waited till my cook had arranged his temporary kitchen and 

 the dinner was in course of preparation, and then their object of halting 

 on this island was made manifest. A number of gold- washers from 

 the Bor Dolonee Mouzah, on the left bank of the river, were washing a 

 little above the halting place. The Pathalipam gold- washers considered 

 the ground theirs, and wished me to serve the intruders with a summary 

 ejectment. The left bank people as stoutly asserted that they were on 

 their own ground, and it was by no means an easy dispute to decide. 

 It depended on which of the channels is the main channel of the river, 

 but the river takes to them all in turn about. 



January 8th. Started after all had breakfasted at 8 a. m. The back 

 ranges of the mountains are disappearing one after the other behind 

 the upstart lower hills. The rapids numerous, but not difficult. 



The Sonaris have boat songs, or professional melodies of their own : 

 when wading and hauling the canoes up the rapids they sing a sort of 

 " cheerly boys," the chorus of which is " Yoho Ram," and which heard 

 above the roar of the waters has a good effect. In hollowing out these 

 canoes the carpenters make in them holes of about an inch square to 

 ascertain the thickness as they proceed. These holes are afterwards 

 plugged. In my boat being driven in from above they protruded below, 

 and two of them were at the same moment unshipped as we bumped on 

 the stone of a rapid. The boat commenced rapidly filling, but we got 

 her on shore and the baggage all removed, before any serious damage 

 was done. I mention this as a warning to others. One minute's delay 

 and the boat would have sunk ; we were fortunately near shore, had 

 surmounted the rapid, and the crews of the other boats all at hand in a 

 moment to assist. 



