Visit Chingsow to investigate Chussad outrage--Interesting
country--Rhododendrons--Splendid forest--Chingsow and the
murder--Chattik--March back across the hills.
I had not fully recovered my strength after my illness, and besides
there was much to do, so I did not start for Chingsow till the 11th,
when I marched to Lairen, twenty-five miles distant. Near a place
called Susa Kameng, where the hills approach each other very closely,
from either side of the valley, a rampart connects them. It was built
in former days as a barrier against the Tankhools, when they were
the scourge of the neighbourhood.
After leaving Susa Kameng, the valley narrowed for some miles, and
then we crossed a ridge about 1000 feet above it, and finally descended
into a charming little upland valley, which, but for the Kukis, those
terrible enemies of trees and animal life, would be the cherished home
of wild elephants. After crossing this, we again made a slight descent,
and found ourselves close to the camp on a lovely stream. There I
found Bularam Singh, who was to be minister in attendance on me during
my march, that part of the country being under his jurisdiction. The
next day we went on to Noong-suong-kong over a most lovely country,
often 5000 feet above the sea, and with hill villages in the most
romantic situation; and--remarkable sign of the peace produced by
the rule of Manipur--we met large numbers of unarmed wayfarers. This
day we also saw terrace cultivation, in which the Tankhools excel,
and rhododendrons in full flower, a splendid sight. The next day,
after another most interesting march, we halted in a pretty upland
valley, 5100 feet above the sea; the valley was long, and a stream
meandered through it, the banks being clothed with willows and wild
pear trees, covered with blossoms. The hillsides were well-wooded,
the trees being chiefly pines with rhododendrons here and there.
On March 14th, we descended the Kongou-Chow-Ching, and in a village I
saw for the first time shingle roofs. We passed the last fir tree at
5800 feet, and reached the watershed at 7300 feet. At the top of the
pass in a slightly sheltered position, was a solitary rhododendron. The
cold was so great that, though walking, I was glad to put on a thick
great-coat; the winds were exceedingly piercing. Some of the hills
round were denuded of trees, and the hill people said that it was
the severity of the winds that prevented their growth. The view from
the highest point was splendid, on all sides a magnificent array of
hills and valleys. Near to us were some of the most luxuriant forests I
have ever seen, the trees of large size, and many of them with gnarled
trunks, recalling the giants of an English park. Under some of these
trees was a greensward where it would have been delightful to encamp,
had time allowed, but the difficulty of obtaining water limits one's
halting place in the hills. Everywhere on the western face of the hills
pines seemed to stop at 5800 feet; but on the east they rose to 9400!
Four villages, in the Tankhool country, apparently monopolised the bulk
of the cloth manufactures, and different tribal patterns were made to
suit the purchaser. Some of these cloths are very handsome and strong,
and calculated to wear for a long time. But the superior energy of the
Manipuris in cloth weaving, has greatly injured the trade in the hill
villages; in the same way that Manchester and Paisley have injured the
weaving trade in most of India. The Manipuris supply a fair pattern
of the different tribal cloths at a lower price, and thus manage to
undersell those of native manufacture, but the quality is not nearly
so good as in the original. The prices in the hills are decidedly
high. Every village has its blacksmith, but some devote themselves
more especially to ironwork.
We reached Chingsow on March 15th, after a march of twelve miles
that morning, chiefly made up of ascents and descents, some being so
steep that it was with difficulty that we got along. Finally, after
a direct ascent of 4980 feet, followed by a descent of 3600 feet,
we reached our encamping ground below the village which towered
above us. The next day I investigated the case, and found that, as
reported, twenty males and twenty-five females had been murdered. I
saw the fresh graves and dug up one as evidence, the bodies contained
in it were those of a mother and child, and presented a frightful
spectacle with half of the heads cut off, including the scalp, and
both in an advanced state of decomposition. It appeared that a demand
has been made by Tonghoo, the Chussad Chief, that the Chingsow Nagas
should submit to him and pay tribute, but they, of course, refused
as subjects of Manipur. They heard of nothing more till they were
attacked on the morning of the fatal day. The people had just begun
to stir, and some had lighted their fires, when suddenly they heard
the fire of musketry at the entrance of the village. They ran out
of their houses, and the Chussads fell upon them, and the massacre
commenced. The assailants were about fifty in number, and the people
in their terror were driven in all directions, and slaughtered,
some being shot and others being cut down by daos.
While this was going on, some of the men assembled with spears and
advanced on the Chussads, who then retreated firing the village,
and carrying off all the pigs, spears and iron hoes they could lay
hands on. Five Nagas of Chattik came with the Chussads and were
recognised. The village of Chingsow was most strongly situated, even
more so than Konoma, indeed, the same might be said of many villages
in that part of the country, and is entered by long winding paths
cut through the rock, by which only one man at a time could pass,
so that well defended it would be difficult to take. But the fact
was that Manipur having put a stop to blood feuds among its subjects,
had rather placed them at a disadvantage, as they were not quite as
well prepared for an attack as formerly.
After leaving Chingsow, we marched through a pretty country, part of
our way lying along a high ridge with a precipice on one side, and a
deep ravine on the other, and we finally halted in a stream far below
our last camp. Every march was a succession of steep ascents and then
equally steep descents into narrow valleys. It was most exasperating
sometimes to see how needlessly an ascent was made over a high ridge,
when a path of no greater length could have been made round it.
On the 17th, I encamped beside a river where I was visited by many
Tankhools, including children, who crowded round me fearlessly. The
people were a fine race, but almost inconceivably dirty, some of them
seemed grimed with the dirt of years. There were plenty of fine pieces
of terrace cultivation. It was very curious to find that among the
Tankhools there seemed to be a universal belief that they originally
sprung from the "Mahawullee," or sacred grove in Manipur.
On March 18th, we reached Chattik, a fine village on a ridge from
which we had a splendid view, including the Chussad villages. As
I had done all I had come for, and wished to see a new country,
I determined to march back straight to Manipur across the hills. It
was not the beaten track which lay by Kongal Tannah, and no one in
my camp knew it, but I felt sure it could be found, and old Bularam
Singh cheerfully agreed. We started on the 19th, and after passing
a village that had been plundered by the Chussads, we halted after a
sixteen-mile march, during which I was badly hurt by a bamboo which
pierced my leg. On the march we passed some terrible-looking pits,
12 feet deep, and about 3 or 3-1/2 feet wide with sharp stakes at the
bottom. They are meant to catch enemies on the war path, or deer,
and are placed in the centre of the roads and covered lightly. God
help the poor man or animal who is impaled in these horrible pits
and dies in agony, for no one else will.
On the 20th, we halted at Pong, after an interesting but tiring march,
during which we crossed the summit of a high range at 7100 feet,
covered with forest, and small and very solid bamboos. The descent
was through a noble pine forest with trees that must have been two
hundred feet high. It rained heavily, and when we halted I should
have had a miserable night of it but for the care of the Manipuris,
who built me a comfortable hut, and went away smiling and cheerful
to cook their food, though they looked half drowned. Never did I see
men work better under difficulties. Owing to them I had as nice a
resting-place as a man on the march could want, and an hour after I
had an excellent dinner.
We started early next morning, and made a gradual ascent till we
reached Hoondoong, a Tankhool village 5200 feet above the sea. After
that our road lay through a splendid fir forest, with here and there
an avenue of oaks, but from time to time we came across large tracts
of forest that had been laid low and burned. At Hoondoong I saw some
curious graves, high mounds shaped like a large H.
They were outside the village. There were also more and better-looking
women and children than are to be seen in most Tankhool villages. The
men of the Tankhool race are, in physique, quite equal to the Angamis.
In the main street of Hoondoong, there were two rows of dead trees
about twenty feet high, planted in front of the houses, and orchids
were growing on them. The people seemed happy and contented under the
rule of Manipur, and their houses were large and commodious structures.
We reached Eethum Tannah in the valley of Manipur after a terrible
descent, rendered all the more difficult by heavy rain, which made
the narrow path so slippery as to be almost impassable. During the
whole of my long march through a wild country covered with forest
I had, with the exception of the Hoolook monkey (Hylohete) seen no
wild animals, scarcely a bird!
I reached Manipur on March 22nd, having greatly enjoyed my tour in
the hills, and had hardly arrived when Thangal Major came to see me
and talk about the Chussad business. Soon after I sent to Tonghoo,
the Chussad chief, to demand his submission. He did not come himself,
but sent his brother Yankapo. The Manipuris thought this a grand
opportunity to secure hostages, and begged me to allow the arrest
of him and his followers. I severely rebuked them for making such a
treacherous proposal.
I had several interviews with the young chief and his followers who
spoke Manipuri fluently, and admitted that they were subjects of
the Maharajah. This visit eventually led to a better understanding
with the Chussads, and to the submission of Tonghoo himself, who
subsequently became a peaceable subject. For the present, however,
I had to exact reparation for the attack on Chingsow, and for some
months the affair cost me much anxiety.