[No. 1, 
18 S. E. Peal — Visit to the Nagd Hills. 
and some 50 to 60 feet long. How they were ever raised to their places, let 
alone up such a hill, was a mystery to us, though we were told that men lifted 
them on their shoulders. On the right hand wall were hung hones and 
skulls of pig, deer, mitton, buffalo, &c. About 50 or 60 lower jaws of the 
boar, made a fine display, all hung in a row, some huge tusks among them — 
evidently all hung as trophies of “ feasting.” 
The central portion of the house through which we next passed, appeared 
to have a series of cattle pens on each side of a central passage, the floor 
being rock, it was dark as pitch, and by no means fresh. From the 
tittering and whispering we heard as we passed or stumbled through, we 
concluded it was the realms of bliss, and after a hundred feet of it, we 
came out into another large room or hall, dedicated to dhan husking and 
pounding, the huge ural, cut out of a solid tree, being placed lengthwise and 
having places for about forty people to pound at once ; the floor was also 
covered with husks. Here also we saw a small bamboo quad, for refractory 
youths. 
On returning to the audience end, we were told that the Rajah was 
ready to receive his presents, “ as most of the Khunsais and Hundekais had 
gone.” So we made our men produce what we had brought, having been 
previously told by our own people, that we must expect them to be dissatisfied, 
but not to mind it. We had a large purple cloth with broad silver lace 
for the Rajah, a scarlet shirt, clasp knives, a red blanket, and Rs. 20 in cash. 
The others came in for similar things of less value, but which were reduced 
by their being six brothers instead of two as we had expected. 
No end of palaver followed, and as we had been warned, they wanted 
more. The Rajah, it seems, had set his heart on a gun. This we assured him 
was very strictly prohibited, and that we of course dare not give one, and 
this I had often told them, but no attention was paid to our remark, the way 
they urged it shewed how little they understand us. One of the oldest 
Sowdongs who has seen three Rajahs, a man I knew well and who understands 
mo better than most Nagas do, got up and made a long speech in Asamese, 
reiterating all the arguments, and eventually proposing seriously, that I 
should write direct to the * Maharaiu’, and explain clearly, that it was for the 
Rajah of Banpara, and she would at once acceed to the proposition. This 
was hailed by all as a coup de grace for us, and the general buzz as he sat 
down clearly proved he had brought down the House. To this we had to 
answer, that if guns were granted to one Rajah, all would claim them, and some 
were, as he knew, very insignificant, so that we knew no exception would be 
allowed. A revolver was next tried for, but we said that they were very 
complicated, often going off when least expected, and killing those dearest, 
as well as nearest. I was then offered a slave, if I would yield the gun 
question, and 1 understood, a slave for life ; but this we had to shake our 
heads over, and look serious. 
