52 GEORGE D-S-DUNBAR ON 



position the sun will be in when the march is over. Two ways of measuring distance 

 mentioned by L,orraine are the number of torches to be used, or the number of quids 

 that could be chewed before arriving at the destination. 



The system of notation is very simple. The numerals run up to 10 e-ing, 



and then through 10 and i, 10 and 2, up to "two tens" 



Notation. & . 



and so on, up to 100, for which there is a recognized 

 derivation of "ten tens" — ling. Very few hill-men have an appreciation of the 

 higher numbers, and although Lorraine gives liyinko for 1,000 it really denotes 

 any of the higher numbers. This method, which may for convenience be called the 

 decimal system, is the natural notation of the hill-man, and is employed when 

 bundles of short sticks are used to simplify intricate calculations regarding coolies, 

 or payment for services rendered, matters that (from the tribesman's point of view) 

 involve large figures. At the same time there has been borrowed from the Plains the 

 ' ' groups-of-four ' system for small amounts. The method used is to hold up the 

 hand and with the thumb count the four joints of each ringer, starting with the little 

 finger, up to 32 if necessary. The number 20 is indicated by spreading out the hands 

 palms downwards and lowering them slightly towards the feet. 



There is one point of interest regarding numeral adjectives that, it is believed, is 

 common to Burmese. This is a change in the numeral adjective when used with differ- 

 ent objects. In the Abor language the actual number is preceded by the numerical 

 particle indicating the noun. For instance, ko[ug] is used with houses, so[ng] with 

 such objects as boats, posts, and bamboos conveying the idea of length, bar with flat 

 objects such as leaves, and pui with round objects such as eggs. For instance, four 

 [eggs] would be pit i- pi , one house would be e'kum koug ka. These numeral particles 

 are never used with 7, 8 and 9. For a full explanation of this rule of grammar the 

 reader is referred to Needham's Miri grammar. 



The hill legends regarding the Creation ' and the Flood l are alluded to elsewhere. In 

 . , , . the minds of the hill-men the earth is a disc, under which the 



Ideas 01 the I. inverse. ' 



sun dips, to rise again over the Mishmi hills, while round 

 the earth flows a mighty stream, the main current of the Brahmaputra, that encircles 

 the world. For Si-ang we have but to read " Oceanus," for the fabulous tribes of 

 Basin and Mimat living away to the north we have only to transpose the giant Hyper- 

 boreans and the ghoulish Anthropophagi to find once more the legends of the Greeks. 



Apart from the myths that tell of how the moon and the stars came into being, 

 the more intelligent Abors have definite ideas of Astronomy. The extreme difficulty of 

 combining a clear night in this country with the presence of a man who knows, makes 

 this portion of the subject regrettably incomplete at the time of writing. It is only 

 possible to offer the following brief notes. The Abors recognize certain of the stars and 

 constellations, and have names for them.' The Minyongs call a comet karshor, 



1 See p. 13. 9 See p. 63. 



S The names given in Balek to certain Stars are as follows, Evening Star Yumc Punic, Morning Star Rue Pume, 

 Pleiades Karseng laiyeng, Orion's Belt Gadbung Gatok, Cassiopoea Muingye tigong. 



For this note and for the spelling adopted for certain words, I am indebted to Captain L,ane, 4th Gurkha Rifles. 



