ASAM AND THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. 327 



state of the rivers which then occurred, as I have before noticed. The 

 Abors and Miris ought to be in possession of all the facts relative to 

 this occurrence, as they were the first observers of it, and the latter tribe 

 having their villages on the east bank of the Dlhong in the plains desolat- 

 ed by it: but they deny all knowledge of these remarkable circumstances ; 

 and indeed the Abors, when questioned about the elephant trappings, (or 

 shackles for binding elephants) as I believe the statement in history gives 

 it, immediately accounted for the appearance (of the latter) by the resem- 

 blance to some of their own implements.* The Abors gave a reason for 

 the rise of the Dihong ; but they did not speak confidently ; they thought 

 it was occasioned, by the river having suddenly penetrated, at a sharp 

 turning, the earthy barrier opposed to it, or overturned a ledge of rocks. 

 That this enormous body of water having so large a fall in that part of its 

 course southward through the Abor mountains, must exert an extraordi- 

 nary force, cannot be doubted. 



After some deliberation as to the route I should attempt, Mr. Scott 

 recommended that I should try the Subanshiri before proceeding further 

 eastward, and I started with a liberal supply of red cloth, beads, and such 

 other articles as Mere likely to please the mountaineers. Having arrived 

 at its mouth on the 28th November, I commenced my survey on the follow- 

 ing day ; but I was disappointed to find my further progress impeded on 

 the sixth day by rapids, occasioned by the accumulation of round stones 

 brought down from the hills, where, from its mouth, I had got but twenty- 

 two miles latitude to the north. 



Some of the Chiefs of an Abor tribe had arrived at this time, to make 

 their annual collections from the district north of the Buri Lohit. They 



* The Writer in the 16th vol. Asiatic Researches, appears to consider this tradition as of some 

 authority. 



