194 The Hill-tribes of the Northern Frontier of Assam. [No. 4, 



tremity of the eastern Himalayas. They inhabit all the country 

 Wing between the territories of the Dallas on the southern face of the 

 Lwy range, and the Kainpo-Butias on the northern ace of he 

 same snowy ridge; Tibet on the north, Assam on the south and the 

 Mishmi-tribes on the east, the Dibong river forming the hue of 

 demarcation between the villages of the Abors and Mishmis 



Of all the four tribes above enumerated, the Abors are by far the 

 most important, both as to their numerical strength and then- war-Ukc 

 propensities, as well as through the extent of the. terntory. 



In the present communication I shall restrict my remarks to one of 

 the tribes only, namely— 



The Akas. 

 The Akas or Angkas live on hills of moderate height, the highest 

 probably not exceeding 6,000 feet, in the angle formed, as before 

 Ironed, by Assam and Butan. Three to four days chmbmgv 

 thickly wooded hills, nearly pathless, stumbling up the diy bed ot 

 STbotuB and other less important watercourses, thickly strown with 

 ge ulders, clambering up the steep faces of rocks, hodmg on y 

 a cane-rope bring the traveller to the small settlement of the Akas. 

 ZZ lephL-hunte. follow up the bed of the Buiuh nver 

 Uto« a smaU light boat along with them, which they hit over the 

 l^fl, and s°o reach the Aka country. There is, however, a ette 

 road but somewhat circuitous. This road takes the traveller fust to 

 Butan to the settlement of the Sat-rajas due north, after a march o 

 lut four days, and then goes on ^^J^ 2 

 which you reach in another two days. This is a ioaa w 

 women and children, and their ponies travel. • 



The name Aka, or Angka,-even Angka-is given to them by their 

 n eignbonr: ; th^ themselves do not use it, but speak of themselves as 



^Hrusso do not pretend to he aborigines oi the country they 

 now inhabit. They are unable to tell where the rea horn of then 

 TZ ■ TbPv metend to have been inhabitants of the plains. Out 



^ north of Bilath, but were driven out from thence by Knshna 

 and Boloram. 



