44 GEORGE D-S-DUNBAR ON 



to meet many of their requirements from the cane that grows in the jungle. In the 

 making of cloth and in metal work the Abors and Galongs show their superiority over 

 the Dan as. Near the plains the Abor women weave the coloured cloths and rug-like 

 cotton fabrics that have already been described. Further up the valley white cloth 

 is made, and amongst the most northern people who have been visited black cloth is 

 woven. Cotton is ginned in a machine by the Abors and Galongs, but not by the 

 Daflas or Mishmis and gadus (to be used either as blankets or made into coats) are 

 woven in a loom very similar to those used in Assam. The cane work of the helmets, 

 whether the tine Dana pattern or the coarser Galong and Abor work is singularly 

 good. A helmet will hold water and is strong enough to ward off a sword cut. The 

 light basket work is also good ; and serviceable mats are made of dry screw pine leaves. 



Kaking in the Galong country and Komsing and Riu in the Abor country are cen- 

 tres of a brisk pottery trade. The Kaking pottery is made of grey, and the Abor of 

 red, clay. The pots are kneaded and beaten out with a stone and a stick. 



The blacksmith's shop, called Yog yup ekum in Abor and Rongmaw ko deri in Galong, 

 turns out the small knives worn suspended from the neck, daos, swords, spear and 

 arrow heads, pipes, charms, brass bracelets, girdle discs and bey op plates. These last 

 are made very largely in Komsing. Only a few skilled craftsmen can turn out the 

 higher class of work. The best sword and bracelet work is done in theMemong villages 

 on the Siyom, and along the middle reaches of the Dihang river. The best examples 

 of bracelet work are very deeply and clearly cut : the design distantly resembles 

 arabesque, but is far more like some of the geometric patterns of Aurignacian age found 

 in the Hautes-Pyrenees. Raw metal is not worked, but in making castings with wax 

 and clay moulds and in working up iron rods, obtained from Assam, into weapons, the 

 local smiths show some skill. The bellows are made of cylinders of large bamboos. 

 The value of a sword depends on the number of welding lines on the blade. A 

 hill-man who wants some bcyop discs made takes his own metal and possibly his 

 own wax to the smith and has the discs cast and ornamented according to his 

 own wishes. The ordinary design appears to be a copy of the Wheel of Life 

 symbol commonly fomid on the dankis. The bcyop discs are made in graduated sizes : 

 the largest, which are generally about 3 J inches in diameter, are worn in front. Broken 

 bits of dauki metal are generally kept for the manufacture of beyops, but brass is also 

 used. A Riu man told me that Karko is noted for its manufacture of bey op discs, and 

 that they are manufactured by melting the metal and making it into a long string, or 

 wire, which is coiled round into a flat disc. Melted metal is then poured over it and the 

 surface planed off neatly. Komsing is also noted for the manufacture of these discs. 

 The girdle discs frequently worn by married women throughout the hills are, as a rule, 

 of brass. Some of the Dana designs are elaborate and these are of course of Tibetan 

 manufacture. 



As regards the word ' ' bey op ' ' commonly used to denote the disc, or girdle of 

 discs worn by the women, it may be noted that Lorraine gives bey op as ' ' a girdle of 

 metal discs worn by Abor girls and by women before bearing children." A man of 

 Riu told me that banyap was the name of one plate and nopium the whole girdle. As 



