My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga HillsJohnstone, James, Sir
History
My Experiences in Manipur and the Naga Hills
Johnstone, James, Sir
Manipur (India) -- Description and travel; Naga Hills (India) -- Description and travel
All being ready we left Shillong, my wife, nurse and children on men's
backs as before, for Cherra Poojee, where we arrived the second day;
thence, on the third day, we went to Thuria Ghât, on by boat viâ
Bholagunj, to Sylhet and Cachar. We reached Cachar on October 17th,
after passing the historical fort of Budderpore, where a battle was
fought with the Burmese in 1825, and settled down in the bungalow
of our kind friend Major Boyd who was away. Our coolies arrived on
October 18th, and we again packed our things and prepared to depart
on our final march.
We left Cachar for Manipur on October 20th, my wife and the nurse and
boys in "doolies," a kind of tray four feet long by two in width,
with sides and ends eight inches in height, supported by two long
poles running along the bottom of each side, and slung at each end
to loose bars of wood carried on men's shoulders. The passenger sits
inside as best he can, and there is a light matting roof thrown over
to protect him from the weather. To begin with, it is an uncomfortable
and shaky conveyance, but in time one gets accustomed to it.
Our baggage was carried mostly on men's backs, each load varying from
sixty to seventy pounds in weight. Altogether we had, I daresay, one
hundred coolies, as everything we required for a ten days' journey had
to be carried, in addition to personal baggage and stores for our use
on arrival. I had provided a tent in case of need, but did not use it,
as rude huts were provided for us at all the stages along the road. Our
first halt was at Luckipore, in British territory, and, as usual,
the first march was the most trying; for servants, coolies, etc.,
have to learn each other's ways. I had an escort of one hundred men
of the 35th Native Infantry, under a subadar, as it was expected that
I might have to go on an expedition soon after my arrival, and these
men had their own special coolies, so we were a large party altogether.
We halted at Luckipore, as I have said, a few miles from the Hoorung
Hills and at Jeree Ghât. Next day we left British territory and entered
Manipur, where we found some huts built for our accommodation. At Jeree
Ghât the really interesting part of the journey commenced; thence, till
Bissenpore in the valley of Manipur is reached, the traveller marches
day after day over hills and across rivers. The first day from Jeree
Ghât we crossed the Noon-jai-bang range, the summit of which is 1800
to 1900 feet above the sea from whence a fine view of the next range,
Kala Naga or in Manipuri, Wy-nang-nong, is obtained. The road which
was made under the superintendence of Captain (afterwards Colonel)
Guthrie, of the Bengal Engineers between 1837 and 1844, at the joint
expense of the British and Manipuri Governments, the former paying
the larger share, was excellent for foot passengers and pack animals,
but not wide enough and too steep for wheeled traffic on a large scale.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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