384 MEMOIR OF A SURVEY OF 



what I would offer him. I doubted his power to give any material assistance, 

 and wished to bargain with him conditionally on his success, but of this 

 he would not hear, and in return proposed to give back my present if 

 unsuccessful, but in the meantime he must receive in pledge whatever he 

 was to have, and I found that his demands would nearly exhaust my 

 store. The obvious inference to be drawn from his uncompromising and 

 unreasonable demands was, that conscious of his inability, he was endea- 

 vouring to rob me of all he could, and I was very little inclined to yield. 

 However, early the next morning, I selected a larger present than I had 

 yet given to any Chief, and exhibiting it to him, desired that he would 

 decide at once whether or not to receive it, and give us the benefit of his 

 services. I reminded him, that if I should fail in attempting to go with- 

 out him, and return in consequence, he would not benefit at all by my visit. 

 But he had a stronger hold upon me than I then imagined. It alarmed 

 the Tains and all the Mishmis of my party, who were very unwilling to 

 move without the security of his safe guidance. 



On his declining to receive my present, I ordered a march and started, 

 intending to see the Chiefs to whom my messengers had been sent, when 

 I should know better with whom it was necessary to treat ; but we had not 

 proceeded a mile when Ghal{jm informed me, that he and his friends 

 could not go on without a better understanding with the Mizkus, or the 

 presence of Riding ; they, in fact, seemed very much alarmed. Ghalt5m, 

 at his own request, sent back to offer the coat given to him in addition to 

 my present, and after keeping us a considerable time waiting, R{jding 

 at last rejoined us, and consented to follow us on the morrow, upon the 

 conditions offered. ' 



We crossed the So by a rude wooden bridge, and traversed the hill's 

 face a few hundred feet above the Brahmaputra, by a very bad path. The 

 direction of the march was towards the south-east, the irregularities were 



