POPULATION OF ASAM. 34I 



who, when reduced to want, were in the habit of selling themselves into bond- 

 age, either temporarily, or for life, to their chiefs or more prosperous neigh- 

 bours. They sometimes resorted to this step, in order to obtain wives of the 

 daughters, and in either case, were incorporated with the family, performing 

 domestic and agricultural service, but under no' 'degradation. Sinh-phos^ in 

 this state of dependance, were called Gum Lao. In the succession to patrimo- 

 nial property, the mode of division, as described by them, appears most sin- 

 gular J the eldest and youngest sons dividing every thing between them ; 

 the eldest taking the landed estate, or place of settlement, with the title ; the 

 latter, the personals ; while the intermediate brethren, where any exist, are en« 

 tirely excluded from all participation, and remain with their families, attach- 

 ed to the chief, as during the life time of the father. 



As a striking example of this custom, the Gaums of Bisa and Satao^ 

 from whom I derived my information, adduced the case of their common an- 

 cestor, a Satao Gaum, seven generations back, who at his death, left three 

 sons, from whom the families of the present Satao Gaurrii Bisa Gaum, and 

 Wakijait Gaum, are descended. Of these, Satao Gaum, the eldest, succeeded 

 to the chiefship and land, while Wakyait Gaum removed to another part of 

 the country, taking all the cattle and personal property, and leaving the 

 Bisa Gaum to seek his own fortune : the descendants of this last have now 

 acquired, by their own enterprize or ability, an ascendancy both in wealth and 

 influence over the others. 



The Gaum of Sdtora is a Kdku, but has elevated himself by his re- 

 sources to an equality of estimation with the Sinh-pho chiefs, and .is consi- 

 dered as amongst the most influential. 



The religion of the Sinh-phos, appears to be a strange mixture of all the 

 various idolatries and superstitions of the nations, with whom they have inter- 



