231 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [July, 



As our Assam Singfoos refused to go on with us until the prohi- 

 bition was removed, we determined to send a remonstrance and to 

 wait in the neighbourhood of Namyoong for a reply. 



We wrote to the Ghams of the Denai villages, that we considered 

 it hard to be detained, reminding them that their people had full 

 liberty to go into Assam whenever thoy please, and that their tra- 

 ders travelled all over Upper Assam unmolested, and we begged 

 them to give us permission to go forward and see them. 



On the morning of the 1 6th we sent off three of our own people 

 with NingrooDoo, the younger brother of Ningroo Menoh, with our 

 letter and with presents for Sibbom Seroj and four other Ghams of 

 note. 



We received no reply till the 25th when Ningroo Doo returned. 

 He told us that the Ghams after much discussion had not come to 

 any agreement up to the time of his leaving them as to whether we 

 should be allowed to go forward or not, and that, as the small-pox 

 had broken out in some of their villages, the people were averse to 

 any travellers being allowed to move about, wishing to prevent the 

 disease from spreading ; he had returned to let us know that there 

 was little probability of our being allowed to go on immediately. 

 It was hardly to be expected, perhaps, that isolated tribes like the 

 Singfoos unaccustomed to European visitors would give up their 

 seclusiveness at the first call without some hesitation ; but we had 

 lost so much time at the commencement of the journey that neither 

 of us could afford to wait longer, especially as the chance of being 

 allowed to proceed on a very early day seemed to be small. 



So on the 26th we commenced our return journey through the 

 Mosang Naga country, as we wished to examine the pass by which 

 Griffith, and Bayfield crossed the Patkoi in 1837. 



This route has already been fully described by Griffith, so it does 

 not seem necessary to say much regarding it. Thoro are four steep 

 ridges crossed by this path rising 3,000 to 4,000 feet, besides the 

 main range itself, on which wo boiled water at a temperature of 

 202, the temperaturo of the air at the time being 63, giving an al- 

 titudo of about 5,500 feet above the sea level. It is much to be 

 regretted that Griffith chanced to take this route ; for it is doubt- 

 loss owing to his description that a general improssion has arisen 



