the plunder of Assam along the line of his frontier.

Returning to the left bank opposite Seedeea, where ends the Mowamareeh country, commences that of the Singphos, marked, if possible, by even deeper jungle, and further on, we reach the entrance of the Now Dheeing river which intersects it flowing from the south cast hills, (on the opposite side of which lies the Khangti country) and throwing off the Booree Dheeing (before mentioned in its course The Theinga Nulla also runs through the Singpho country.

The Singpho States, which were formerly tributary to Assam, now Occupy the entire space bounded by the south and south east hills, on the north by the Luhit, and west by a meridian line, drawn from Seddeea to the hills excluding Theokh and Makoom, and cutting the Deeping Nulla.

They are divided into twelve distinct and independent Villages, or Cantons, (of which Beesagong is the most powerful,) governed by their chiefs called Ghaee Gaum, and acting separately, in concert, or adversely, as circumstances or inclination may dictate.

They are professedly Bhuddists, but have no repugnance to taking the lives of animals, which the former never personally resort to, unless driven to necessity. Their native arms are the Dhow, a short square-ended sword, with an oblong wooden shield, and the bow, but they are partial to musquets, of which they have a few, but are almost entirely ignorant of the use of them.

The lofty lines of hills extending along the north west, north, and east, are inhabited by the Abors and Meeshmees, populous tribes, differing little in character from the Meerees and others of the mountain race, of whom I have hitherto been able to gain but little information.

But the object of greatest interest to topographical science is, a

clear and distinct opening in the lower lofty ranges bearing due east behind which is pointed out by all ranks and classes, the Brub makhoond or reservoir, whence flows the Burrumpooter, and distant from hence not more than forty or fifty miles -six days journey.

It was formerly, in more tranquil times, a place of very extensive pilgrimage, and is still held by all Hindoos, in universal sanctity.

The stream is described as tak. ing its rise from a circular basin, or well, in the side of the mountain, beneath the snowy region, while behind, and above it, rise stupendous ranges of impracticable transit.

The Nagahs-The Nagah ap pear to be a free, independent, and very active race of people; their villages are situated on, or near the summits of the hills, and are gene. rally small, containing from 50 to about 130 huts, some few may have more; each village has two head men, the duty of one of these is to take care of the lands and cultiva tion: he is considered the chief personage; the other has control over the population either in war or in wo king parties; in all our agreements with the Nagahs for Coolies, this second in command was the or gan of communication, the other though present did not interfere excepting when applied to: in mat ters of importance they form a council consisting of these Chiefs, and all the old men of the village, who are in any way remarkable for their sagacity. Generally speaking each village is independent of its neighbours; there are, however, instances where several, in a measure, acknowledge the authority of one Chief or Rajah, but he has little power over them. The produce of their hills is chiefly Cotton, Chil lies, Ginger, wild Thyme, Bees. Wax, Elephant's Teeth, an excellent kind of Yam, which they call Kuchoo, and a very seperior Paun leaf, some of these articles they carry to the plains to barter for

uneasy about him, lest it might cause his death, but in about half an hour the man was quite well, ate his dinner and went on his journey-he came again in a few days and asked for more: this was the son of the Aquee chief; the chief himself was said to be one of the strongest men in the hills, that even now at his advanced age he can travel from Aquee to Banskandy with a maund and half weight on his back.

Their mode of signifying friendship is, by the two contracting parties hooking the fore-fingers of their right hands and pulling against each other, embracing as in other parts of India and putting their foreheads together; the Chiefs of Simbelong or Seeblong having contracted friendship with us, assured us that if the Burmese come to punish them for their having formed such an alliance they would die for us; that if at any time we wanted them they would instantly obey the sum

mons.

These people will do more from good and kind words, than by any other means-from this a native of Hindoostan or Bengal does not know how to manage them-they only try to intimidate and use such means as they know would succeed with themselves or their countrymen-persuasion and kind open behaviour form no part of their art. It was curious to observe the Bengalees making bargains with the Nagahs, the former parting with rice for the dried fish of the latter -the Nagahs were perfectly aware of the attempts of the Bengalees to over reach them, but instead of getting in a passion, or shewing any symptons of anger, they laughed heartily at them, and either gave in a little or stoutly adhered to their own ideas of just barter as it appeared to suit their own convenience. They seem to have a great abhorrence of idleness, for even after a fatiguing day's labor, instead of being listless and inac

tive as we have been accustomed to see natives of other parts of the country, they always found something to do. The cooking of their dinners was no plea for remaining inactive, they sat at the fire side watching the boiling of their rice, at the same time they were busy making baskets or preparing the bark of trees as a substitute for ropes or leather straps, &c. They are very expert in making huts, and the rapidity as well as neatness with which they construct them, is very surprizing-they will finish a house before an equal number of Bengalees could have collected the requisite materials.

In making agreements they take time to consider, and they consult amongst themselves; but after they have come to a decision and entered into terms, they adhere to them. To give one instance of their dislike to idleness, it may be mentioned that we had agreed with a party to assist in carrying the grain from the Jiree Nullah to Noorghie, they were to be with us on a certain day from which their pay was to commence, 3 rupees per mensem and food. They were true to their time of coming, but having waited about a couple of days, and seeing we were not in a state sufficiently forward to require their aid, they all went to their houses without saying a word to any of our people. We thought they had run away, as many of the other coolies had done, but in two days more we were undeceived, for they all returned to see if we then wanted their assistance. On being asked why they had gone away, they freely answered, they could not afford to sit idle, and they saw we did not want them at that time, they had therefore gone to work in their village - they never asked for pay as they had not done any work. Their houses and villages are remarkably neat and clean-they will eat from the hand of an European, meat, bread, sugar, or whatever may be given-their

mark of respect, on coming into your presence, is to sit down after having put the forehead to the ground as a salam. The women work the same as the men, but the men are very attentive, kind, and gentle to the females, quite unlike any natives I have seen in other parts of India. They amuse themselves by dancing to entertain strangers: these dances resemble quadrilles and reels-they follow regular figures as in our dances, keep excellent time and have considerable grace, ease, and style-the men sing whilst the women dance, or

SIR,

whilst they dance together, there is much modesty in the young women

it required persuasion to induce them to dance before us, and it was very pleasing to see the manner in which the men prevailed on them to overcome their shyness, it was done in the most winning good mannered style imaginable-no French or English Beau could have acquitted himself in a more becoming manner-the girls seemed to be accustomed to this treatment, and were playful and tardy in allowing themselves to be persuaded. -Govt. Gazette, 9th June.

In the number of the MONTHLY ORIENTAL MAGAZINE for July 1823, there is an account of the Longnosed and Snub-nosed Alligators of the Ganges, with an interesting description of a specimen of the former. I take the liberty of inclosing you a translation of a passage of Herodotus, containing an account of the Crocodile of Egypt, of the respect paid that animal by the ancient Egyptians, and a method which according to the historian they had of catching him.

Whether the Crocodile of the Nile is of the same species with either of the above mentioned, I confess myself ignorant, and I have not at present the means of satisfying myself on the subject. If the nature of your plan admits of the insertion of notices of this kind, I should think that the present would not prove uninteresting to your readers; as exhibiting a correspondence as far as it goes, generic at least, between the animal described by Herodotus, and that of which your correspondent has given the detailed account; and as affording a specimen of the simplicity and strong but very excusable credulity of the father of history. "This" says he, "is the nature of the Crocodiles, during the four winter months. they eat nothing;

and being quadrupeds, are fitted to live either on shore or in the water. They lay their eggs on the land and leave them. They live most of the day-on shore, but pass all the night in the river; for the water is warmer than the air and the dew. Of all the animals we know, this from being one of the smallest becomes one of the largest; for the eggs are not much bigger than those of a goose, and the young is in proportion to the egg; yet they grow to the size of seventeen cubits (upwards of twenty five feet) and even more. They have eyes like those of a sow, and large formidable teeth, corresponding to the size of their bodies. They are the only animals that have no tongue, and that do not move the under-jaw but bring the upper to the under. They have

2

strong claws (ovuxas) and an impenetrable scaly skin on their backs.

In the water they are blind, but out of it they are very quick sighted. While in the water pursuing their prey, their mouths get filled with leeches; and although other birds and beasts avoid them the trochilus, is on good terms with them, being serviceable to them. For when the Crocodile has gone ashore and opened his mouth, (for he is always in the habit of doing this, toward the west wind) then the trochilus going into his mouth swallows up the leeches; and he being relieved, is delighted and offers the trochilus no injury.

By some of the Egyptians, the Crocodiles are reckoned sacred; by others not, and they pursue them to destroy them Those that live in the neighbourhood of Thebes and the lake of Mocris, are decidedly of opinion that they are holy,

4 "Next to these" says he again, are the proper scuta of the back which form the defence so much talked of." p. 66.

The trochilus is by the Dictionary maker, said to be a small bird called a wren, for the accuracy of this of course we do not vouch.

TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY.-The XVth. vol. of the Transactions of the Asiatic Society will appear this month. The following are the contents :

I.-Essay on the Hindu History of Cashmir by H. H. Wilson.

II-Diamond Mines of the south. of India, by the late H. Voysey.

III. Some account of the country of Bhután by Kishen Kant Bose. Translated by D. Scott, Esq. IV. Observations on the Hippe laphus of Aristotle by the late Mons. Du Vaucel.

V.-Description Statistical, Historical and Antiquarian of Cuttack, by A. Stirling, Esq.

VI-Description of the Course & Levels of the Setlej, by Capt.Herbert.

and a tame Crocodile is kept by every one among them. They adorn their ears with ornaments of gold and precious stones, and their forefeet with bracelets; feed them with food, consecrated and set apart for them, and cherish them as much as possible, while they live; and when they die, preserve them in salt and bury them in sacred tombs. Those however that dwell in the neighbourhood of Elephantina, do not look on them as sacred, but feed on them. * * *

The methods in use of catching them are many and varions, I shall describe that which I think most worthy of notice. The hunter having bated his hook with the skin of a hog, allows it to float down the middle of the stream, while at the same time he lashes a live pig which he has on the edge of the river, and the Crocodile hearing the noise comes towards it, but meeting with the skin by the way, he swallows it. Then the people_on the shore draw, and when the Crocodile is pulled ashore, the hunter first of all bedaubs his eyes over is easily managed in every other with mud, and this being done, he particular; nor is there much difficulty even in this.

T.

VII. On the building Stones and mosaic of the Taj at Agra, by H. Voysey.

VIII. Translations of Sanscrit Inscriptions, by the late Captain Fell-with observations by H. H. Wilson.

IX.-On the climate of Subathu and Kotgerh by Lieut Gerard.

X.-A description of the Ourang Outang of Sumatra by C. Abel, Esq. M. D.

XI-Ancient Hindu Remains in Chattisgher by S. Jenkins, Esq. with translations and observations, by H. H. Wilson.

Appendix. Extracts from the Proceedings of the Benares Literary Society.