628 Notes on Northern Cachar. [No. 7. 



commerce with an enemy of the clan : the victim in these cases was 

 cut to pieces with dhaos, but of course no such extreme measures 

 can be resorted to by them in the present day. In cases of adul- 

 tery and seduction the punishment is left in the hands of the 

 aggrieved husband or father. In the former case, death might be 

 inflicted on the adulterer by any means with impunity, but more 

 generally it was, and now invariably is, the custom to compound 

 with him for a large sum of money, something over and above the 

 original price of the wife, the adulteress then becomes the property 

 of her lover. 



In cases of seduction every effort is made, and in most cases 

 successfully, to have the guilty couple married forthwith, a penal 

 price being put upon the bride. All the women in the village, 

 married or single, are perfectly at the pleasure of the Rajah, and no 

 voice would be lifted against him for co-habiting with any of them, 

 the only prevention being a sense of immorality, and an understand- 

 ing among the royal families of the whole tribe generally that such 

 conduct is infra dig : indeed there is little temptation, for the 

 Rajah may have as many wives as he likes or can keep, both poly- 

 gamy and concubinage being in common practice, female slaves living 

 generally in the latter condition with respect to their masters. 



The new Kookies have a much more defined notion of religion 

 than any of the other tribes in Cachar. They recognize one all- 

 powerful god, whom they call "Puthen," as the author of the 

 universe, and although they consider him to be actuated by human 

 passions, yet they look upon him as a benevolent deity who has at 

 heart the welfare and enjoyment of his creatures. He is the judge 

 likewise of all mortals, and awards punishments to the wicked both 

 in this world and the next, by inflicting death or disease. In all 

 circumstances of affliction his name is called upon and sacrifices of 

 animals are made to him, imploring the cessation of his own anger, 

 or the avertion of the effects of that of other deities. Puthen has 

 got a consort, a goddess of the name of " Nongjai" who has likewise 

 power to inflict and remove diseases ; her name is generally taken 

 in conjunction with that of Puthen, and in cases of great urgency 

 she is implored to influence Puthen in behalf of the petitioner. 

 Puthen and Nongjai have a son called Thila, who acts under his 



