“It was owing to the unsettled state of the country, resulting from this feud, that I could gain no guides from the Digaroos, without whose assistance in this most difficult country, I need scarcely say, that all attempts to advance would have been made in vain.  These people very plausibly said, if we give you guides, who is to protect us from the vengeance of the Mezhoos when you are gone, and who is to insure us from a second invasion of the Lamas?  Another thing to be considered is, the influence even then exercised over the Mishmees near our boundaries by the Singphos connected with the Dupha Gam; but from the renewal of the intercourse with our frontier station, there is every reason for believing that this influence is ere this nearly destroyed.

“The natives of this portion of the range are divided into two tribes, Taeen or Digaroo and Mezhoo, these last tracing their descent from the Dibong Mishmees, who are always known by the term crop-haired.  The Mezhoo, however, like the Taeens, preserve their hair, wearing it generally tied in a knot on the crown of their head.  The appearance of both tribes is the same, but the language of the Mezhoos is very distinct.  They are perhaps the more powerful of the two; but their most influential chiefs reside at a considerable distance from the lower ranges.  The only Mezhoos I met with are those at Deeling-Yen, a small village opposite Deeling, but at a much higher elevation, and Tapan.  I need scarcely add that it was owing to the opposition of this tribe that Captain WILCOX failed in reaching Lama.  The Digaroos are ruled by three influential chiefs, who are brothers DRISONG, KHOSHA, and GHALOOM:  of these, DRISONG is the eldest and the most powerful, but he resides far in the interior.  PRIMSONG is from a distant stock, and as the three brothers mentioned above are all passed the prime of life, there is but little doubt that he will soon become by far the most influential chief of his tribe.  Both tribes appear to intermarry.  The Mishmees are a small, active, hardy race, with the Tartar cast of features; they are excessively dirty, and have not the reputation of being honest, although, so far as I know, they are belied in this respect.  Like other hill people, they are famous for the muscular development of their legs:—­in this last point the women have generally the inferiority.  They have no written language.  Their clothing is inferior; it is, however, made of cotton, and is of their own manufacture;—­that of the men consists of a mere jacket and an apology for a dhoti,—­that of the women is more copious, and at any rate quite decent:  they are very fond of ornaments, especially beads, the quantities of which they wear is very often quite astonishing.  They appear to me certainly superior to the Abors, of whom, however, I have seen but few.  Both sexes drink liquor, but they did not seem to me to be so addicted to it as is generally the case with hill tribes:—­their usual drink is a fermented liquor made from rice called mont’h:  this, however, is far inferior to that of the Singphos, which is really a pleasant drink.