1G 
[No. 1, 
S. E. Peal — Visit to the Naga Hills. 
side, and not more than four or five yards across. The obstruction was com- 
manded by a rise in the ground beyond, on which there was good cover, while 
there was none on the near side. The fortification could not be seen, even from 
a distance, and was no doubt the best point of defence on the route. There 
was, however, another point further on where the road for a short distance 
was cut on the face of a precipice, and only a few inches wide. Here a 
few determined men could hold any number in check for some time, the preci- 
pice being so steep, that I plucked a leaf off a tree top that was fully eighty 
feet high. We soon after came to the region of Dollu and Wattu bamboos, of 
which there were immense numbers, and here saw cattle tracks, both cows and 
buffaloes, and were told they came by the same route as we did, which wo 
could hardly credit. 
They here asked our permission to fire a salute, no doubt to warn the 
Rajah’s people of our proximity. We soon after reached the first point in the 
village finding it a counterpart of Longhong, extremely irregular and broken 
up, the houses all thatched with Tocoo leaves, and the centre posts project- 
ing. The Jack trees were both large and numerous ; we also saw a Naga 
‘ bik’, or poison, tree, the leaves of which are used to intoxicate fish, an 
endogen and not unlike an aloe on a long stem. They at once conducted 
us to the Rajah’s house, the largest by far in the ohang, and also the highest. 
It was a repetition of all the other houses. We had to climb up a notched tree 
stem to reach tho bamboo chang floor, and found ourselves at once in the 
Royal presence. 
The Rajah seemed a shrewd man, about 40 to 45 years old, tall and of 
course tattooed. He was seated on a sort of huge stool about 8 feet by 4 
or 5, over which there was a coloured rug of either Indian or English 
manufacture, certainly not Naga. We were pointed out to a similar sort 
of bench opposite, at about 8 or 10 feet distance, where wo sat down, 
glad to get a rest after our toil, and to look around us a little. 
The heir-apparent sat on a smaller throne, to the Rajah’s right and at 
some 15 or 20 feet, a strapping fine young fellow. He had an heir- 
apparent-manner about him which was to some extent very telling, and was de- 
corated a la Naga ; for with exception of a black cloth flung round him while 
he sat, he had but a bead and cowrie costume, and was tattooed also of 
course. The Royal brothers of the Rfijah were all en suite, and sat about Roy- 
alty on little three-legged stools, tho whole of them with faces of such 
intense gravity shaded off' by a futile attempt at indifference, that they 
looked supremely ludicrous. Of the brothers we fo und there were six ; 
we had only heard of two. On the outskirts of this upper ten, sat 
and stood the sons and nephews, &c., some of them very smart young fellows, 
and decorated in the most fantastic style, and very few tattooed. In the 
distance sat the outsiders, and not a few. Most of the Khunsais, 
Hundekais, and Sowdongs, who could do so, camo to see us. 
