24 



EXCURSION TO THE 



miserable knives, and some the usual spear so general with the tribes 

 on this frontier. But in general the weapons of these people are 

 most insignificant. The view of the hills is not fine from this place ; it 

 is too close to see any of great height, and they soon disappear to the 

 westward. In the evening that of the Koond, which bears E. N. E. 

 by N. is fine, particularly one mountain, which is known at once by its 

 numerous cascades or appearances of water-falls, which, although they 

 appear like streaks of white to the eye, are distinctly visible through 

 a telescope. The bed of the Karam is almost entirely stony, and the 

 immediate banks are clothed with grass. The jungle is of the usual 

 thick description. The Gam, whose name is Jingsha, is a respectable 

 looking man, fair in his dealings, and willing to oblige. They all 

 have tobacco pipes. 



Oct. \9th. — Halted to enable the people to bring up the baggage, 

 and we shall in all probability have to halt to-morrow. I paid a visit to 

 the Gam's house, Jingshi ; it is to the S. E. of the Ghat, and about 

 a mile and a half distant from it. The houses are all detached, and 

 almost buried in jungle. Jingsha's house is a good one, very long, 

 and well built ; he has only about five skulls.* Mont was handed 

 round to the Mishmees in large bamboo cups. From our encamp- 

 ment, abundance of clearances for cultivation are visible on the hills. 

 Those to N., S., S. E. are of some extent, and belong to a Mishmee 

 Gam, Tapa. Some fine timber trees exist on the road to the village, 

 and a very large Ficus : no particular plants occur except a Chloran- 

 thus, fructibus albis, which is also common towards Palampan. 

 Thermometer at noon, in imperfect shade, 83°. 



Oct. 20th. — The temperature of the air at 5£ a. m. was 57£°. That 

 of water, 60°. I was obliged to halt again to enable the rice to be 

 brought up. To-day we gathered on the banks of the Karam, a tree 

 in fruit, Fol. alterna, impari-pinnata, stipulis caducis. Cymi com- 

 positi dichotomi ; calyce minuto, 4 dentato, reflexo ; corolla coriacea, 

 viridi, rotata ; stamina 4, hypogyna, gynobasi, maxima ; carpulis 4, 

 aggregatis, 1, 3, fecundalis, globosis, atro-cyaneis, baccatis ; stylis 

 lateralibus ; semen 1 , exalbumosum arbuscula mediocris ; one Chry- 

 sobalanea ? one Ochnacea ? 



Yesterday they brought me a beautiful snake, Collo gracillimo, 



* The rank of the chiefs of various nations on the frontiers of Assam depends on 

 the number of skulls of vanquished enemies, which decorate their houses. The 

 Mishmee trophies, as appears from the author's account in the Journ. As. Soq. 

 May 1837, consist of the skulls of cattle only. 



