6 GEORGE D-S-DUNBAR ON 



L,obas, and so go on pilgrimage in large parties, a measure that does not appear to save 

 them from molestation, for they yield up their possessions to the Lobas as soon as 

 they appear. If the ' ' gelt "is not up to Loba expectation the pious, but unfortunate, 

 Tibetans are promptly attacked by the bandits. The Tibetan benevolences largely 

 consist of (imitation) turquoise necklaces, 1 and strings of the blue porcelain beads 

 commonly worn by the Abors, Galongs and the people of the Subansiri Valley, 

 thread of different colours, salt, snuff, and a little silver, a metal that the Lobas do 

 not appear to know or value. Rindze admitted that he lost all the ornaments he had 

 with him at Tsari. He described the valley to the south of Tsari as similar in 

 appearance to the Abor country ; no rivers or villages were visible. 



In reviewing the evidence bearing on Tsari it must be borne in mind that, whilst 

 the more acute observer Rindze performed the full Tsari piligrimage, Tugden came 

 from Iyha-sa more as a sightseer ; he did not carry out the prescribed journey round the 

 mountain and consequently did not see the enterprising Loteu upon his native heath. 



As the inhabitants of the highlands to the north of Assam appear, until the mis- 

 apprehension has been removed from their minds , to consider it their right to demand 

 payment for the privilege of entering their coimtiy, the action of the Loteus to the 

 south of Tsari may be regarded as a somewhat rigorous application of the local Aliens 

 Act. It has been gathered from the evidence elicited that the Loteu, when outside his 

 own principality, brings his methods down to commercial Dutch early nineteenth 

 century, and takes skins and horns to barter with the Tibetans. 



Rindze furnished interesting accounts of the trade marts at Alando to the east, 



Gyala Sindang in Kong-me, and Ming-Tsenga to the west, 

 all of which he appears to have visited. Gyala Sindang of 

 the Kambas (and Gyala Sumdo of Tibet) is on the pilgrim's road from Kongbu 

 Gyamda to Tsari. Various other evidences placed Gyala Sindang on the right 

 bank of the Kongbu Gyamda Chhu and just above its junction with the Poba 

 Chhu ; this is inaccurate, or a confusion with Trulung (Poh-tsi-lung). None of my 

 informants had been below Sindang , but Rindze stated that the Kongbus have a story 

 that the Poba joins the Tsanpo which, below the junction, flows into a rock and 

 runs through to the other side and that this is a place of pilgrimage. Rinchen 

 Kandra stated that he learnt at Gyala Sindang that the Poba river flowed down 

 into the Lo Kapta country. Kapta means, apparently, people with tattoo marks 

 on their mouths. This would describe an almost universal custom of the Abors 

 of the lower Dihang valley. Lo is the generic term given by Kinthup to the Abors 

 as a race. He called the Abors living in the Dihang valley, Lo-karpo, Lo-tawa and 

 Lo-nakpo. : Clear statements were elicited regarding a nourishing trade at Gyala Sin- 



1 Like the grey pebble necklaces of the Nagas the modern imitation turquoises are far removed from what they 

 seem. The beads are made in Birmingham, or Germany, and find their way to Tsari through Calcutta, Darjeeling and 

 L,ha-sa. The more antique necklaces are made of chips of good blue porcelain, and are not associated with western 

 commercial enterprise. 



2 It was learnt in the summer of 1913 in Pemakoichen that the Membas call the Abors of the lower valley IyO-kapta 

 (tattoed Abors) and Lo-nakpo (black Abors). The Abors high up the valley are fair and do not tattoo. These terms 

 are applied specifically to the Simong people. The fair Tangam Abors, scattered thro' the Memba colonies and at 

 Kuging are called To-karpo. 



