624 Notes on Northern Cachar. [No. 7. 



when they began to appreciate the value of money, and perceive 

 the regularity with which they received their pay ; and all classes 

 have ever since eviuced great desire to become soldiers. The Kookie 

 levy now not only furnishes frontier posts to the south, but has 

 three large detachments in the northern hills, protecting the country 

 from the Angami Nagas as well as the Looshais. 



To return to the Kookies at present inhabiting North Cachar : it 

 has been mentioned that on being driven from the Tipperah hills, 

 many of them found their way to the north, some without even 

 making an intermediate halt in Cachar. These consisted of portions 

 of only three of the four large clans, the entire clan of Lhumgums, 

 settling either in Cachar, or going over to Manipur. 



The fugitives appear to have been most hospitably entertained by 

 the wild tribes into whose localities they thrust themselves, and 

 settled down in unoccupied parts of the country, among the other 

 villages of Nagas and Cacharies, and have ever since peaceably con- 

 ducted their agricultural avocations, living in general on good terms 

 with the rest of the people. Disturbances have occurred in which 

 they bore a part, and it would be too much to expect their entire 

 absence among a people so wild and warlike, coming for the first 

 time into a settled country. One of the most serious of these 

 occurred in 1850, of which the following are the circumstances : A 

 hunting party of Kookies of the Changsen clan, returning from 

 their sport, ignorantly attempted to enter a Naga village which was 

 " Genna ;" unaware of the Naga custom, and unable to understand 

 the language addressed to them, although entrance was refused, they 

 attempted to force it. An affray took place in which the Kookie 

 Rajah was slain and the party forced to retire. The person of the 

 Rajah being held almost sacred, his subjects were eager for revenge, 

 and collecting a body of three hundred men, attacked the Naga 

 village, killing several of the inhabitants together with the headman 

 or G-aon Boora. Serious as this affair was, and though the Kookies 

 were undoubtedly at fault, yet it must be considered that they 

 were savages among whom a certain degree of hospitality is consi- 

 dered more a common civility than a virtue, and being unacquainted 

 with the Nagas, owing to their recent arrival in the country, it is 

 not wonderful that they resented what must have appeared to them 



