Dec. 24th.—­Reached Suddiya.  The country passed through was, for the first two days, of the same description as before; i.e. rather high grassy plains with belts of jungle, and intervening low very swampy ravines.  The soil precisely the same as that of the tea localities.  The last march was, with the exception of Chykwar, through low damp dense jungle.

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Extract from the Author’s letter to Captain F. Jenkins, Commissioner of Assam, regarding the Mishmees. December, 1836. {54}

“I had thus become acquainted with all the influential chiefs near our frontier, and by all I was received in a friendly and hospitable manner.  In accordance with my original intentions, my attention was in the first place directed towards ascertaining whether the tea exists in this direction or not, and, as I have already informed you, I have every reason to think that the plant is unknown on these hills.  From what I have seen of the tea on the plains, I am disposed to believe that the comparative want of soil, due to the great inclination of all the eminences, is an insuperable objection to its existence.

“As I before observed to you, during my stay at Jingsha, my curiosity had been excited by reports of an incursion of a considerable force of Lamas into the Mishmee country.  It hence became, having once established a footing in the country, a matter of paramount importance to proceed farther into the interior, and, if possible, to effect a junction with these highly interesting people; but all my attempts to gain this point proved completely futile; no bribes, no promises would induce any of the chiefs to give me guides, even to the first Mishmee village belonging to the Mezhoo tribe.  I was hence compelled to content myself for the present, with obtaining as much information as possible relative to the above report, and I at length succeeded in gaining the following certainly rather meagre account.

“The quarrel, as usual, originated about a marriage settlement between two chiefs of the Mezhoo and Taeen tribes:  it soon ended in both parties coming to blows.  The Mezhoo chief, ROOLING, to enable him at once to overpower his enemies, and to strike at once at the root of their power, called in the assistance of the Lamas.  From this country a force of seventy men armed with matchlocks made an invasion, and, as was to be expected, the Taeen Mishmees were beaten at every point and lost about twenty men.  The affair seems to have come to a close about September last, when the Lamas returned to their own country.  Where it occurred I could gain no precise information, but it must have been several days’ journey in advance of the villages I visited.