84 H. Blochmann — Koch Bihdr and A'sdm. [No. 1, 
flat, and made of ruin metal, and is struck like a gong. The instrument 
is used when the audience commences, or when the Rajah issues forth, or 
the Phukans ride out, or leave for an appointment. Mulla Darwish i 
Harawi [a poet who accompanied the expedition] says that these ddnds 
must be the very identical metal plates* that are mentioned in the 
Shahnamah ; but God knows best. There are other houses in Ghargaon, 
beautifully adorned, strong, very long and spacious, full of fine mats, which 
really must be seen. But alas, unless this kingdom be annexed to his 
Majesty’s dominions, not even an infidel could see all these fine things 
without falling into the misfortunes into which we fell. Beyond the en- 
closure of this hall there is another house, the dwelling-house of the Rajah. 
It is a fine and beautiful house. The Phukans have erected dwellings in its 
neighbourhood. Each Phukan is a son-in-law of the Rajah, and has a 
beautiful garden and a tank. Indeed, it is a pleasant place. As the soil of 
the country is very damp, the people do not live on the ground floor, but 
on the maehdn, which is the name for a raised floor. 
VII. 
Advance of the army to Mat'hurapur. Krcction of Thandhs. 
The Rajah had first intended to fly to the Naga Hills, but from fear of 
our army, the Nagas would not afford him an asylum. 
The Nagas live in the southern mountains of A'sam, have a light brown 
complexion, are well built, but treacherous. In number they equal the 
helpers of Yagog and Magog, and resemble in hardiness and physical 
strength the ’Adis [an ancient Arabian tribe]. They go about naked like 
beasts, and do not mind to copulate with them women in the streets and 
the bazars, before the people and the chiefs. The women only . cover their 
breasts, f as they say that it would be absurd to cover those limbs which 
every one might have seen from their birth ; but this was not the case with 
the breasts, which since then had formed and should, therefore, be covered. 
Some of their chiefs came to see the Nawab. They wore dark hip-clothes 
0-£d) , ornamented with cowries, and round about their heads they wore a belt 
of boar’s tusks, allowing their black hair to hang down over the neck. The 
chief weapon of these people is the short mace 
* Vide Ain translation, p. 562, note 1. 
t “ I have seen Nagas to the south of Sibsagar who answer to the description 
of that people by the Persian historian. Both sexes go quite naked. The women I 
did not see ; but I recollect having heard that when seen by strangers, they folded their 
arms across their breasts, and wore regardless of what else was exposed.” From a 
letter by Col. Dalton. 
The illustrations to Col. Dalton’s ‘ Ethnology of Bengal’ and the specimens of 
.Naga dress in our museum, show that the boar’s tusks mentioned below are a very 
common ornament for caps. They also protect the head. 
