ASAM AND THE NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. 32.9 



me, or to let any of his people guide me till he should have returned and 

 consulted his people. 



Of the Subanshiri, they could only tell me that it is divided above into 

 three branches. It is called by them Kamla, and the principal branch 

 rises in the N. or N. W. Snow, which I had seen lying on the mountain 

 in a northerly direction, they told me was fifteen days' journey from their 

 villages, and added that in the north east, they could perceive it hanging 

 on the mountains, in great quantity, throughout the year. The Mitts 

 bring down to exchange with the lowlanders, ginger, pepper, manjit, 

 (madder) and wax. The Abors of Sueng 3Ieng and Dollar Dooivars, more 

 eastward, have also copper vessels, straight swords and elephants' teeth. 



The Subanshiri river is scarcely inferior to the Ganges at Allahabad 

 in December. I found the discharge at its mouth 16,000 cubic feet 

 per second, and up to the hills its tributary streams are few and of little 

 consequence. I think there is no doubt of its being the Omchu of Du Halde 

 and Rennell. Its low banks are covered with tree jungle and are subject to 

 inundation ; there are very few villages visible from the river, but inland, 

 on both sides, the country is better cultivated and more populous than 

 other parts of upper Asam, with the exception of Jurhdth and Char Dwcir. 



It had been agreed with Mr. Scott that in the event of my meeting 

 with no success here, I should go on to the Dihong and Dibong, and if 

 Captain Bedford had not already explored those rivers as far as practi- 

 cable, that I should make my attempt there. 



My own belief, founded on the reports of the Miris, now on the 

 Subanshiri, who had emigrated from the banks of those rivers, was that 

 neither would be found navigable, and I was prepared to move overland 

 wherever I could find admittance. The Miris did not pretend to any 



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