392 MEMOIR OF A SURVEY OF 



however, with telling him, that it would be madness in him to remain there 

 after his warnings. Ghali^m, and the rest, were now so decidedly alarmed, 

 that they insisted on immediate flight ; but I should mention that they had 

 observed many suspicious circumstances which have not been stated. I 

 considered that I ought to be guided by the intimate knowledge which they 

 must necessarily have of the habits of their neighbours, and as they were 

 convinced of the inutility of our remaining, unless we were prepared to 

 proceed in hostile form, I consented to take advantage of the night for 

 a retrograde movement. I proposed to start after midnight, when the 

 moon would serve to guide us over the good ground to the banks of the 

 river, when we should have daylight for the difficult path over the rocks. 

 The people all cooked, in order that they might not be delayed in their 

 flight on the morrow. 



I lay down to rest early after posting my sentries, but I was not per- 

 mitted to enjoy quiet long, the fears of Ghalum and the other Mishmis 

 being so great, that they earnestly begged I would not delay our flight. 

 At half-past ten the party was arranged in marching order, and enjoined 

 to be very careful in avoiding noise when passing the house which 

 lay close to our path. The Chinese prepared, in admirable style, a 

 train of wood to go on burning through the night in the midst of our 

 encamping ground, and then, after seeing the guides and coolees take the 

 lead, I bid adieu, with a heavy heart, to the opening mountain scenery 

 which, three days before, I had hailed as the road to new and most interest- 

 ing discovery. I found that my people, though generally so awkward, needed 

 no hints in managing a retreat : we passed all the houses unobserved and 

 without noise, excepting that which could not possibly be subdued arising 

 from the heavy tread of so many men. We arrived at the rocks on the 

 Brahmaputra, with no other accident than the fall of a poor coolie, who 

 missed his hold while clambering down the perpendicular precipice of a 

 ravine, whose hands and feet were required with careful use of both. He 



