ON THE ROUTE FROM ASSAM TO AVA. 



121 



feet above the level of the sea. The range might be. traversed by a 

 lightly loaded active native in six days. 



Streams. — These all partake of the usual nature of mountain 

 torrents ; they are all fordable during the cold weather, the principal 

 ones being crossed at the heads of the rapids. The boundary 

 nullah is a mere streamlet : it runs between two ridges of the Pat- 

 kaye : its course being about ESE. and WNW. Owing to the 

 frequency of the streams and their mountainous nature, I should 

 imagine that this route is impracticable during the rains. 



Villages. — Not a single village or house exists directly on the 

 route. One small Naga village is visible from the Namtusseek be- 

 low Yoomsan, and a detached hut is visible here and there on a high 

 mountain close to, and NE. of Yoomsan. On the Burmese side 

 there is, as I have mentioned before, a village consisting of two 

 houses close to the route. This village has lately been established 

 by some Singphos from Nimbrung, several marches to the eastward. 



Population. — I certainly did not see 100 Nagas throughout the 

 time passed in traversing these hills, although I am satisfied that 

 every man within a reasonable distance came into Camp in the 

 hopes of sharing in the extensive distribution of presents. From 

 the appearance of the country about Yoomsan, and the valley of 

 the Namtusseek, I am inclined to think that the population was 

 at one time considerable. The openness of the country, which is 

 as I have previously said chiefly clothed with grass, and the 

 peculiar and generally imperfect aspect of the trees, can only be 

 accounted for, by supposing the country to have been extensively 

 cleared, particularly when it is remembered that the highest portions 

 of the range are thickly wooded. But allowing this supposition to 

 be correct, it is no proof, that the total population has been on the 

 decline, for we must take into account, the wandering nature of all 

 hill tribes. In forming an opinion of a hill population, which in all 

 times and places has, in this country at least, been found scanty ; 

 we must take care not to confound the temporary huts, erected in 

 khets, for the purpose of protecting the cultivation, with actually 

 inhabited houses ; to the former description I think the detached 

 houses mentioned as being visible from Yoomsan are to be referred. 



The Nagas, at least the men, for I saw no women, are a small, 

 active, large-legged race, with Tartar faces. They are divided into 

 very many tribes, each of which has some peculiarity of costume. 

 Those 1 saw were decidedly inferior to any of the other hill tribes, 



