A Sketch of Assam: With some account of the Hill TribesButler, John, Major
History
A Sketch of Assam: With some account of the Hill Tribes
Butler, John, Major
Assam (India) -- Description and travel; Assam (India) -- Social life and customs; Ethnology -- India -- Assam
The Mishmees, women and children, as well as men, are inordinately
fond of smoking; and use a roughly-made Singphoo bamboo pipe, or a
brass China-made bowl, with a bamboo tube. A bag made of monkey's
skin is suspended from a belt for the express purpose of carrying
the tobacco pipe, flint and steel, with a leather case containing
tinder. The men wear a long, straight sword, of China manufacture,
ornamented with a tuft of coloured hair; and a lance, manufactured
by themselves, is constantly carried. They also use the cross-bow and
poisoned arrows. Their head dresses are composed of dog skin, fastened
under the chin by strings. Like all savages, they are superstitious;
invoking an unknown spirit supposed to reside in the inaccessible
mountains or dense forests; and on being afflicted by famine, sickness,
or other misfortunes, they invariably sacrifice fowls and pigs, that
the evil may be removed, and the wrath of the invisible spirit appeased
by their offerings and submission. We are led to believe that the
authority of the chiefs, though respected, is not absolute: they are
obliged to abide by the decisions of the people, duly assembled for the
purpose of settling disputes and arranging the amount of amercements
to be imposed for offences committed. For all heinous crimes remission
is said to be procurable by the liquidation of a fine; but adultery,
if the husband be not privy to the offence, is punished by death,
which is inflicted by the people purposely assembled for the trial.
The Mishmees, like the Abors, are most skilful in the construction
of cane bridges; which they throw across rivers of eighty yards
breadth. Three large cane ropes are sufficient to pass a person over in
safety; but the transit, to any but a Mishmee, would be impracticable:
for few would hazard the risk of falling into a rapid river below,
or of being suspended midway on these ropes, unable to retire or
advance. Accidents, however, rarely occur, and the Mishmees cross
over their rivers in this manner without difficulty or apprehension.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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