HO E. A. Gait —Contents of one of the Ahom Puthis. [No. 2, 
I hope in time to be able to give a similar account of some of the 
folk-lore locked up in other puthis. Some educated Assamese gentlemen 
in Sibsagar are taking a tardy, but none the less welcome, interest in 
these relics of a bygone age, and it is to be hoped that their efforts will 
culminate in some tangible result. As a preparatory step, a register 
is being prepared, showing the puthis in the possession of each family, 
with a short abstract of the subjects dealt with. When this register 
has been completed, it will be possible to take steps to procure more 
detailed information regarding the contents of each puthi. 
The Ahom Story of the Flood, 
Once upon a time, there was intense heat from the sun, which dried up 
all the water on the face of the earth, so that many people died of thirst. 
At length the intense heat caused the earth to crack, and an immense 
volume of boiling water flowed out and killed all remaining living things, 
except an old man named Tliaolipling, and a cow, who were in a boat made 
of stone. As the waters rose, this boat was carried by the flood to 
the summit of a high mountain, the name of which is Iba, which lies 
far away to the North-East. The old man and the cow stayed on this 
mountain, while the water gradually subsided, leaving the bodies of the 
dead men and animals to decay. From them, such an evil smell arose, 
that it reached the abode of the Gods, who sent fire down from heaven 
to burn them. The heat caused by the conflagration was so intense, 
that the old man, being unable to endure it, killed the cow and took 
refuge inside its body. There he found the seed of a pumpkin. When 
the fire had died away, he planted this seed, and a tree grew up which 
threw out four branches in the direction of the four points of the 
compass. The northern branch was killed by the cold, the southern 
branch fell into the fire and died, the western branch was destroyed 
by the remains of the flood, and only the eastern branch remained. 
This branch grew and flourished exceedingly, and at last produced a 
giant gourd, inside of which were men, and every kind of animal, 
bird and fish, and every kind of plant. The living creatures tried hard 
to get out, and at length their cries and struggles reached the ears of 
Indra, who sent a messenger, named Panthoi, to ascertain what was 
inside the gourd. Panthoi went and listened, and heard the cries of 
men, cattle, elephants, and all sorts of animals. He returned and 
reported this to Indra, who sent his eldest son Aiphalan to break open 
the gourd with a flash of lighting. Aiphalan descended to earth to carry 
out his father’s instructions, and at first aimed at the point of the 
gourd where the men were. The men however implored him to aim 
elsewhere, and entreated him not to destroy them, saying that if 
