1855.] Notes on Northern Cachar. 



over a slow fire until the flesh gets smoked and hardened to the 

 bone, they are then dressed and laid out, and kept in this way for a 

 month or two before being finally deposited in the earth. During 

 the whole of this time, the hospitality in the house of mourning is 

 unbounded, methins, cows, buffaloes, horses, pigs, goats and dogs 

 being slain in numbers to feast the guests, portions of the flesh 

 being likewise sent to distant villages where any friends of the 

 family may reside. It is believed that, while the body is above 

 ground, all the animals slain on its account will be attached to it 

 in the world of shades, and hence the great profusion. On the 

 death of a Eajah the entire population are supposed to go and 

 see his corpse lying in state, and partake of the hospitality. "When 

 the time has expired, the body wrapped in clothes is placed upon 

 a bier, having several kinds of eatables and wines placed near 

 its head, and a dhao and spear by its side. The burying- ground lies 

 only a short distance out of the village, and here, a grave being dug, 

 the body is placed in a mat coffin together with eatables and drink 

 (the weapons being taken away) and covered up with earth. The 

 skulls of all the animals slaughtered during the lying-in-state are 

 then planted on posts all round the grave. It is thought necessary 

 when a Eajah dies to have the fresh skull of one enemy at least 

 stuck over his grave, that enemy also being supposed to become a 

 slave of the deceased in the next world. For this purpose it used to 

 be the custom for a party to undertake a war-expedition as soon as 

 the death of the Rajah was known, and return in time for the 

 funeral with the required trophy ; but at present the Kookies in 

 North Cachar can no longer do their kings this honour, and therefore, 

 they content themselves with getting an elephant's head if they 

 can, and if not, satisfy themselves by slaying hecatombs of cattle 

 and game. 



An account of North Cachar would be incomplete without some 

 reference to the wild and powerful tribes of Angamie and Kutcha 

 Nagas, which occupy the tract of land lying immediately to the 

 east of the province. These people are the terror and scourge of 

 the inhabitants of N. Cachar, and are in the habit of making con- 

 stant forays into the country, burning the villages of the peaceful 

 Meekirs and Nagas, and sparing neither sex nor age. 



4 q 2 



