Return to Manipur--Revolution in my absence--Arrangements for
boundary--Survey and settlement--Start for Kongal--Burmah will not
act--We settle boundary--Report to Government--Return to England.
I was really not fit to undertake any work in India till my health
was re-established, but could not bear to leave the interests of
Manipur in other hands until the boundary was settled. I felt that
I alone had the threads of the whole affair in my hands, and that I
could not honourably leave my post till I had seen Manipur out of the
difficulty. Thus it came that I left England again on September 7th,
and my devoted wife, far less fit than I was for the trials of the
long journey, accompanied me, as she would not leave me alone.
We reached Shillong on October 18th, 1881, and, after arranging
all matters connected with the boundary settlement with the Chief
Commissioner, started for Cachar, and reached that place on October
25th, leaving again for Manipur next day, and marching to Jeree Ghat,
where we were met by Thangal Major. We made the usual marches, and
reached Manipur on November 4th, the Jubraj coming out with a large
retinue to meet me at Phoiching, eight miles from the capital.
While I was away in the month of June, an attempt at a revolution
had occurred, the standard of revolt having been raised by a man
named Eerengha, an unknown individual, but claiming to be of Royal
lineage; such revolutions were of common occurrence in former days. In
Colonel McCulloch's time there were eighteen. In this case there was no
result, except that Eerengha and seventeen followers were captured and
executed. The treatment was undoubtedly severe, but not necessarily
too much so, as too great leniency might have led to a repetition,
and much consequent suffering and bloodshed.
I had an interview with the Maharajah, who was ill when I arrived,
as soon as he was well enough; and set to work to make preparations
for our march to the Burmese frontier. I intimated my desire to the
Maharajah that Bularam Singh, and not Thangal Major, should accompany
me, as I wished the last to stay at the capital, and also not to let
him appear to be absolutely indispensable.
I had been appointed Commissioner for settling the boundary with
plenipotentiary powers, and Mr. R. Phayre, C.S., who was in the
Burmese commission, and a good Burmese scholar, was appointed as my
assistant. There was also a survey party under my old friend Colonel
Badgley, and Mr. Ogle, while Lieutenant (now Major, D.S.O.) Dun, [35]
came on behalf of the Intelligence Department. Mr. Oldham represented
the Geological Survey. Dr. Watt was naturalist and medical officer,
while Captain Angelo, with two hundred men of the 12th Khelat-i-Ghilzie
Regiment, commanded my escort. Mr. Phayre arrived first, and I sent him
off to Tamu to try and smooth over matters with the Burmese authorities
there. Then my old friend Dun came, soon followed by Dr. Watt, then the
survey party arrived, and Captain Angelo with my escort, and last of
all Mr. Oldham. Never had Manipur seen so many European officers. Some
time was required for necessary triangulations before we could start.
On November 30th, just as the sun was rising, Thangal Major came to
see me, and told me that the Maharajah was very ill and suffering
great pain. While talking, two guns were fired from the palace, when
the old man turned pale, evidently thinking that the Maharajah was
dead. A few minutes after a messenger came to inform us that the guns
merely announced a domestic event, but Thangal Major was nervous and
soon took leave, running away to the palace at a pace that did credit
to his sixty-four years.
On December 1st, Mr. Phayre returned from Tamu, having had a friendly
but unsatisfactory interview with the Phoongyee. The Pagan Woon had
been expected but did not arrive, and the Phoongyee had no authority
to act.
Before starting, the Maharajah visited me in state, and I introduced
all the officers of the party to him. He looked pale and haggard after
his illness, but seemed in good spirits. At last, on December 16th,
we made a move and marched to Thobal-Yaira-pok, and on the following
day to Ingorok, at the foot of the hills. My wife accompanied us, as
I was exceedingly anxious to show the Burmese my peaceful intentions,
and felt sure that the presence of a lady would be a better proof of
my bona fides than any other I could offer. I heard before leaving
the frontier, that had it not been for this, a rupture would have
been certain while our relations were in a state of great tension,
but the fact of my wife being there, convinced the authorities in
the Kubo valley, that I had no idea of hostile action.
I have already described the route to Kongal, and my escort were much
tried by the severity of the marches over such a rough country. The men
had only lately returned from Afghanistan, and were in fine condition,
but they said that the country between Kandahar and Kabul, was nothing
to that between Ingorok and Kongal Tannah. Every day many men were
footsore, and reached camp, hours after me and my Manipuris. There
can be no doubt that for some reason or other the Eastern hills and
jungles are far more trying than those of the North-West frontier.
However, at last we arrived safely at Kongal, and though the Burmese
and Sumjok officials, to whom I had written polite letters asking
them to meet me, did not turn up, the survey work went on merrily.
On the 18th, Colonel Badgley, who had come by an independent route
through the hills, joined my camp, and after a conference we came to
the conclusion that at any rate I was right in claiming the country
occupied by the Chussads and Choomyangs, as Manipuri territory. This
was very satisfactory, as the day before I had been much annoyed by the
Sumjok authorities having prevented some of the former fears coming
to pay their respects to me. The attitude of the Sumjok people was
passively hostile, they refused to join in making out the boundary,
and threw every obstacle in the way of my doing so, but they were
evidently not inclined to be the first to shed blood.
On December 19th, I sent out two unarmed parties to clear some
ground for survey marks, but one of them was stopped by an armed
party of Sumjok men. On hearing this the next day I ordered the
Manipuri subadar in charge, to halt where he was, and I wrote to
the Pagan Woon to complain, and to ask him to order the Tsawbwa to
interfere. On the 21st, I heard that another party had been stopped,
and I asked with regard to them as I had done with the first. That
afternoon I received a civil letter from the Pagan Woon brought by
a Bo (captain), saying that he had orders to conduct negotiations
at Tamu, and was not authorised to come to Kongal Tannah. I wrote a
conciliatory reply urging him to visit us.
On the 22nd of December, I heard that my two parties had been
forcibly driven out by large bodies of armed men. I therefore called
in some Manipuri detachments lest there should be a collision, as
the atmosphere was getting very warlike, and only required a spark
to produce a conflagration. All the population of the Kubo valley
were said to be arming. The Burmese we talked to frankly admitted
if there was a rupture the fault would lie with Mandalay, for not
sending a proper representative to meet me, in accordance with the
request of the Government of India, conveyed months before.
Certainly one false move on our part would have provoked a
rupture. However, everything comes to him who waits. We made every
effort to keep the peace, and while the authorities were opposing
us we kept up a friendly intercourse with all the individual Burmese
and Shans near us, and I carried on negotiation with the Kukis. The
Chussads were inclined to be friendly, but the Choomyangs were still
under the influence of Sumjok. Fortunately Colonel Badgley found that
he could dispense with the two points from whence our men had been
driven, and we discovered a little stream that formed an admirable
boundary line entirely in accordance with the terms laid down in
Pemberton's definition of the boundary.
Further north, I knew the country well myself, and we had now no
difficulty in laying down a definite boundary line about which there
could be no doubt. This was done, and pillars were erected, and the
line marked on the map. Manipur might, according to Pemberton's
statement, have claimed a good deal of territory occupied by
Burmese subjects, but this I refused to allow, as it would have been
interfering with the "status quo," which I desired to preserve. I
called all the Sumjok people I could to witness what I had done,
and they all agreed that what I said was fair, and that the fault,
if any, lay with the Burmese authorities, for not taking part in
the arrangement. This was willing testimony, as none of the people
need have come near me. Even Tamoo, the chief of Old Sumjok, or Taap,
as the Manipuris call it, visited me, and expressed his satisfaction
with what had been done. On Christmas Day, 1881, my wife and I had a
party of seven at our table, an unprecedented sight, and probably the
last time that nine Europeans will ever assemble at Kongal Tannah. My
friend Dun, who had been badly wounded by a pangee (bamboo stake)
had to be carried in.
Before leaving Kongal, I went round all the pillars that had been
erected, and saw that they were intact. Mr. Ogle's party went off to
the north, escorted through the village of Choomyang by Lieutenant
Dun. These people being under the influence of Sumjok, it was a
very delicate business getting through their village without a
rupture. This affair Dun managed with great tact. We left Kongal
on our homeward journey on the 6th of January, but previous to
starting I brought my long-standing negotiations with the Chussads
to a successful conclusion. They agreed to negotiate with me but not
with the Manipuris, and to abide by my decision entirely.
I sent a message to the Choomyangs and other Kukis who had
given trouble, telling them that they were undoubtedly within
Manipur, and that I gave them forty-two days in which to submit,
or clear out, adding, that if at the end of that time they gave any
trouble, they would be treated as rebels and attacked without more
ceremony. Eventually they submitted and became peaceful subjects
of Manipur. As to the great question--that of the boundary--I may
here add that it received the sanction of the Government of India,
and proved a thorough success. Though not noticing it officially,
the Burmese practically acknowledged it, and it remained intact,
till the Kubo valley became a British possession in December 1885.
My wife and I reached Manipur on the 9th of January, having made the
last two marches in one, and next day were joined by Mr. Phayre, who
had come, via Tamu. He gave it as his opinion, that the Pagan Woon
was greatly disappointed at having had no authority from Mandalay to
negotiate with me, and described him as a sensible well-disposed man.
I had now to write my report of my mission, and having finished this,
and handed over charge to my successor, I left Manipur with my wife
on the 29th of January, reaching Cachar, where we met Mr. Elliott,
the Chief Commissioner, on 5th of February. We left that evening by
boat, and travelling with the utmost speed possible, with such means
as we possessed, reached Naraingunge, near Dacca, and after waiting
two days for a steamer went to Calcutta, via Goalundo, and thence to
Bombay and England, where we arrived in March, both of us very much
in need of a prolonged rest.