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Some account of the Hill Tribes in the interior of the District oj 

 Chittagong, in a letter to the Secretary of the Asiatic Society. By 

 the Rev. M. Barbe, Missionary. 



My dear Sir, — During my late trip to Chittagong I took advan- 

 tage of the favourable state of the weather to visit the Hill tribes of that 

 district, as a few months before I was amongst the Rookies I visited 

 in my last trip the Bunzoo tribe. Having in my account of the Roo- 

 kies described the banks of Chittagong river, I will not repeat here 

 what has been mentioned before. I stopped one night at Rangunia, 

 which is about 25 miles from Chittagong; and when there, I engag- 

 ed the services of my old guide : this man had been of great use to me 

 when I visited the Rookies. Having spent part of his life amongst 

 the hill tribes, he is well acquainted with their habits ; and I think that 

 a person who is not a Government officer accompanied by him, might 

 go with security to any of their villages. This Burman is a sportsman 

 by profession, and consequently he can give correct information res- 

 pecting the different species of animals which are found on those hills ; 

 but the characteristic custom of his nation being not to contradict 

 persons whom they consider superior to them, when any question is 

 put, the answer is not to be anticipated, because in every circumstance 

 he will approve of it ; so the only way to get the truth is to let him 

 answer by himself, deducting of course something on account of exag- 

 gerations to which they are very much inclined. On the evening of 

 my departure from Rangunia, I reached the east part of Sitacra hill, 

 which is at two tides from Chittagong, and slept in a small village 

 situated on the top of a hill, elevated from three to four hundred feet 

 above the level of the river. The house in which I took up my abode 

 belonged to an Arracanese who, having spent some years at Rangoon, 

 spoke Burmese passably. The entrance to the house, which was ele- 

 vated nine feet from the ground, was a spacious uncovered verandah ; the 

 building had several rooms : the hill being very steep on one side, the 

 house was raised about fifteen feet on that side, and supported only by 

 bamboos of small size. The old man received me with great kindness. 

 He had with him eight children, one only being married. He said he was 

 very anxious to see all his boys established ; but as it was the cus* 

 torn to expend about 100 rupees for a bride, his means did not allow 



