BOTANICAL TOUR IN THE LAKhIMPUR DISTRICT, ASSAM. 73 
customs of his turbulent neighbours, that the Mishmi tribe still brings 
down Rubber but in greatly diminished quantities compared with 
what was brought in former years, so their trees are probably becom- 
ing exhausted. He also told me that the Abors do not collect any 
Rubber whatever as they are deterred from doing so by the belief 
that the vindictive spirits which haunt all trees (and consequently aU 
trees are spared from destruction) would immediately resent any 
damage done to their habitations. The Abors will not even allow 
sceptics to brave the terrors of ghostly indignation, but the Chalikatas, 
a tribe to the westward of them, although sharing in* the same super- 
stition, do not refuse to strangers the privilege of tapping the Indian 
Rubber trees {Ficus elastica)^ pecuniary considerations doubtless 
outu eighing their scruples and fears. These Chalikata (or crop-haired) 
Mishmisaresaid to be the first people on the Indian side of the Hima- 
layas to discover the valuable properties of the Rheea fibre ; it is also 
said that from some species of nettle they manufacture cloth so strong 
that it is imper ious to arrows when worn as loose jackets. 
As regards the whole district of Lakhimpur, with its sparse popu- 
lation, Robinson in his “ Descriptive Account of Assam '' in 1840, says 
that it presents a miserable picture of depopulated villages and or- 
chards and plantations run to waste or covered with dense jungle. 
This statement still holds good for a great part of the district. 
Sir W. W. Hunter has giver a graphic sketch of its physical aspects 
in the Statistical Account of Assam. 
To sum up, Lakhimpur presents most diversified scenery. It is 
situated at the extreme north-east end of the Assam Valley so that it 
is narrowly confined on three sides by the Himalayas and their off- 
shoot, the Naga Hills. In populated parts there is much rice land 
and many tea plantations. The forests are large and contain good 
timber. Throughout the area, and especially near river banks, gigan- 
tic grasses cumber ground which is either perennial marsh or flooded 
only during the rains. 
Houses are built with frameworks of wooden posts arranged to 
suit the disposition of the rooms Natives cannot be particular re- 
garding the kind of wood used for this purpose, but stems of Nahor " 
{Mesua ferrea) are preferred by the European residents. To form the 
walls, the spaces between the posts are often filled with single verti- 
cal lines of stripped Arundo stems and a coating of plaster and white- 
wash on both sides gives them an air of solidity. The high pitched 
roof§ are thatched with the long leaves of the tall grasses abounding 
everywhere. 
The climate, as can be deduced from the selection of plants I have 
