The Singphos cannot be considered otherwise than as encroachers.  Invasions of these restless marauders appear not to have been uncommon up to a late date.  The remains of two stockades, in which they had entrenched themselves were extant, one close to Yoomsan, the other on the S. face of the Patkaye.  I have before said that the puthars on the Nam-maroan bore evidence of having been inhabited, and apparently to some extent.  But even during the stay of Major White on these hills, an irruption of Singphos from Nimbrung had taken place, and had totally unsettled the peace of the native inhabitants.  Such things must be expected to occur, particularly when it is well known that the Burmese, the only power to which they are subjects, can exercise no authority over the Singphos in any one direction, except when they have a large armed force in the valley of Hookhoom.

Of the Capabilities of the country it would be vain to attempt giving an opinion.  Scarcely any cultivation was passed on the route.  The soil is generally deep, more or less yellow, and somewhat clayey; the hollows having a thin superstratum of black mould.  Taking the deserted state of the country into account, this part of the Naga range is of little importance, except as forming portion of a most natural and well defined boundary, compared with other portions of the same range to the westward.

Products.—­The principal mineral product is salt, an article which is procured abundantly in some other more available points of the range.  We saw one small spring on the Namtusseek, from which supplies had been lately taken.

Vegetable Products.—­Fine timber trees occur here and there.  Oaks, Magnolias and Chesnuts occur not uncommonly, the Magnolias being of these in this range the most characteristic of elevation.  The horse chesnut of Assam, (Osculus Asamicus mihi) occurs on both sides of the range, but does not ascend further than 3,000 feet.  No Fir trees exist on the route, nor is it probable that they exist on the range in this direction.  One of the most interesting plants is a new species of tea, which I believe to be a genuine Thea; it is called Bun Fullup, or jungle tea, by the Assamese, in contra-distinction to the true tea plant, which is called Fullup.  This species makes its appearance at an elevation of about 1,000 feet, and is met with as high up as 4,000 feet.  It attains the size of a tree of 30 feet in height; it is used only as a medicine.  No real tea exists on this route; several plants were pointed out to me as tea, but all were spurious instances.  The higher portions of the ranges have a flora approaching in many instances to that of northern latitudes.  As examples of this, it will be sufficient to allude, in addition to the trees mentioned above, to the existence of two species of Daphne, one of Barberry, several species of a genus nearly allied to the Whortle Berries, a Violet, and several species of Smilacineae, to which order the Lily of the Valley belongs.