1868.] The Hill-tribes of the Northern Frontier of Assam. 193 



torrents, its snow-capped heights, and brave leeches, dum-dam and 

 cannibal Abors,— in order to confirm or otherwise, the statements of 

 native informants,— we shall have to rest satisfied with our present 

 stock of information. 



From all, then, we have hitherto been able to collect, it would appear, 

 that that portion of the Eastern Himalayas which lies between the 92° 

 40' and 95° 30' East Long., or between the eastern boundary line of 

 the country of the Tauwang and Kampa Butias, and the Dibong 

 river,— having Assam on its south, and Tibet proper on its north 

 side,— constitutes the home of four peoples, known to the inhabitants 

 of Assam by the names of Aka, Miji, Dana, and Abor. 



Three of these tribes, the Aka, Miji and Dafla, occupy the hills on 

 the southern side of the backbone of the Himalayas, the snowy range. 

 The water of their rivers flows down into Assam direct. I make 

 use of the expression direct, because I thereby wish to explain the 

 more immediate proximity of their mountain-homes to Assam ; for 

 properly speaking, the rivers that run down the northern slopes of 

 the snowy range pour their waters likewise into the same big river 

 which passes through Assam, viz. the Sampo of Tibet. The Abors 

 alone, in some of their northern clans, are said to dwell on both sides 

 of the snowy mountains, and they are thus in intercourse both with 

 Tibet and Assam. 



The seats of these four principal tribes may be defined as follows : 

 commencing from the west or the frontier of Butan we come first 

 upon the Akas. Their country is situated so as to have Assam on 

 the south, Butan on the west, the Miji territory on the north, 

 and the Dafla east. The Buruli river forms the boundary of the 

 Aka and Dafla country, or rather hills. The Mijis again have 

 Butan to the west, and probably north, but the Buruli river 

 running round the northern side of their country until it enters 

 Butan, the Daflas to the east, and their friends and neighbours, the 

 Akas to the south. 



The Daflas like the Akas have the valley of Assam for their 

 southern limit, the Akas and Mijis, with the Buruli river interven- 

 ing, on their west, and the Abors both north and east,— the Subon- 

 siri river running up between the hills of the Abors and Daflas. 

 Then the Abors themselves occupy the whole of the remaining ex- 



