ABORS AND GALONGS. 21 



the Subansiri high-lands bamboo ladders are constructed at more than usually difficult 

 places. 1 



The swiftness of the larger rivers combined with the frequent runs of broken 

 Rivers water, does not tend to produce ideal water-ways. Added 



to this the Abors , with the exception of the villagers about 

 the mouth of the Yamne, do not swim or embark on the water at all, if they can avoid 

 it. Consequently that excellent, if primitive, plains Miri craft the " dug-out " is 

 unknown in the Abor country. Small bamboo or plantain-stalk rafts generally built 

 to cam- two or, at the outside, three persons are used for crossing unfordable rivers,' 2 

 but cane tubular bridges are constructed wherever possible. 



One of the finest known example of Abor bridging spanned '" the Dihang near Kom- 

 Bridaei sing. The Abors state that it was constructed during the 



winter of 1908-9 by about 200 of the inhabitants of 

 about twelve neighbouring villages on either bank. The immense amount of material 

 required for its construction was first of all collected and stacked. Cane ropes of the 

 required length were then pieced together on the bank, floated across and secured to 

 trees on the far side. On this foundation the tubular bridge was constructed. The 

 Abors, in using it, considered about forty yards' interval between passengers to be 

 necessary. 



Captain J. O'Neil, I. M.S., who carefully took the measurements of this bridge, 

 and gave me the information recorded above, kindly supplied me with the following 

 details : — 



The length of bridge- work measured along the footway from entrance to entrance 

 was 717 feet, and the approaches were about 34 feet in length giving a total of 786 

 feet. The supports (on either bank) were 8-10 logs about 21 foot long and from 5^ in. 

 to 9 in. in diameter, with 10 foot buttress posts. The bridge was anchored on 

 either side by about 30 strands of split cane attached to growing trees, live 

 bamboos and rocks. The open tube of cane-work of which the bridge was made 

 consisted of a frame-work of 30 ropes of split canes varying from 20 feet to 50 

 feet in length, and from § in. to 1 in. in diameter; and running longitudinally 

 from 6£ in. to 1 foot apart, the lengths of cane being tied together with what 

 Mr. Kemp tells me is known as "an ordinary knot." Fifty-nine interlacing 

 strands at varying intervals of from 3 to 23 ft. along the bridge made of 

 4 strands of whole cane twisted together formed the hoops of the cage. The suspen- 

 sion cables were made of 6 strands of split cane twisted together ; these cables 

 varied in height from 4 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft. 6 in., from that precarious structure the 

 foot way ; 10 struts of bamboo, at various intervals, were placed transversely to 

 separate the suspension cables. The height of the bridge above winter river level 

 was found to be 50 feet at the centre and 130 feet at the entrances. As might 



l In other localities— i.e. on the Dihang side— galleries of tree-trunks and handropes of creepers make what would 

 otherwise be impassable places barely negociable. 



* The large rafts used by the Riga men carry 6 or 8 people. 



' This was written in 1912, the bridge has since been destroyed ; the longest bridge I have been on is at Kodak, 

 length about 780 feet of foot-way from entrance to entrance. 



