Indian Antiquary Vol 01

SR No.: 032493
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

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Mútons, also on a hill, and next to them again the Bor Mútons, on a conical hill with the village on the apex. More to the south and in the extreme distance was the chang of the Neyowlung Nágás, or, as they are called, Abors; and due south was U'núgáon, one of the four Banpara villages. Several small ranges ran behind these, all inhabited hy Abors, up to the foot of the Deoparbat due east. This mountain is uninhabited, and called Deoparbat' from an idea that it is haunted by a Deo, or devil. Hollow noises are said to be heard on the cummit, where a lake is believed to exist. It is wooded to the top, and the western face is rather precipitous; here and there large masses of rock stand out clear of the forest and so light as to look like quartz. From behind U'núgáon a large hill rises shutting in the view; on it are the so-called Abors, who can never get into the plains, though in sight, as the border tribes would "cut" them, as it is called. In the fore-ground of this hill lay a series of small hills, all Banpara territory, and on one of them we were shown the village of that name where the Rajah resides. Nearly due south-west, Joboka rises, and is as conspicuous here as from the plains, having a gradual slope on its southern face, and a very steep one to the north. It is the hill of the Joboka tribe, with whom the Banparas are constantly at war, with varying success."
"We saw" at Banpara" some Abor women or girls, wives of the owners, one of whom, we were told, had cost five buffaloes, and was the daughter of an Abor Rájah. They seemed far more sprightly and intelligent and good-looking than Nágánís, and could, we thought, understand us far better too; whether they were exceptional cases, I cannot say. They wore the hair in a long queue, tied up with beads and wire, and in many cases it was long, not cropped at all, as is common among Nágánís. Costume as usual was at a discount, and as is often said "a pocket handkerchief would make four suits;" yet with all this, I doubt if we could beat them in either real modesty or morals, and this applies to Nágánís too.
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
"The Morang (deadhouse), or place where the skulls taken in their wars are put, was next visited. It also contained the great drum cut out of a tree stem and hollowed like a boat. I had reason to think that they might have scruples to take us in, and as I had often tried to get a skull, I did not shew my interest in it outwardly. Roughly estimated, there were about 350 skulls. About half of them hung up by a string through a hole in the crown and in the open gable end, the other half lying on a heap on the ground. No lower jaws were to be seen, nor hands and feet, as I had expected. The latter are always cut off with the head when a man is killed, and confer another kind of ák' or decoration. None seemed fractured by a dháo, and a large number were of young people, or children, being small and smooth.
[AUGUST 2, 1872.
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"We were conscious of being face to face with the great cause of this tribal isolation, constant warfare, evidently a custom of great antiquity. As long as social position depends on tatooing as here, and can only be got by bringing in the head of an enemy, so long shall we have these wars, and consequent isolation of clans. The man who brings in a head is no longer called a boy or woman, and can'assist in councils of state, so called. And he seldom goes out on a raid again, I hear. The head he brings, is handed to the Rájak, who confers the 'ák,' or right of decoration by tattoo, at which there is great feasting, and pigs, cows, or even buffaloes are killed and no end of moád,' or fermented rice water is drunk. Those who are not tattooed, when old enough, make a party and lie in wait for stragglers, men, women, or children, anybody in fact with a head on him; and as cover is plentiful, they can get on the enemy's land and lie in ambush along side his paths; never breaking cover unless certain of success and getting clear off. All those who get heads, get the ák on the face; those who get hands and feet, get marks accordingly; for the former on the arms, for the latter on the legs. No two tribes, however, have the marks alike, and some even do not tattoo the face. The worst of this kind of warfare is that women and children are as often killed as men, and without any compunction."
"Besides the skulls, the Morrang also contains the big drum which is nothing more than a "dug-out." It is besten by short heavy sticks, and can be heard a great distance. The drum from the Múton Chang can be heard here, at least six or seven miles in a direct line. Some are made of a hollow tree with the inside gradually burned out, and open at the ends, some 20 feet long by 3 to 4 in diameter."
The Banpara tribe consists of four villages, Banpara, Longhong, Unû, and Nokrong, and Mr. Peal estimates them at 600 houses, and the able-bodied men at 1,000 to 1,200. The Joboka Nâgâs have five villages, Joboka, Kamlung, Bor Uta, Hârâ Uta, and Longting, and may have 1,000 to 1,200 houses and 2,000 able-bodied men. The Mûtons have four villages, Bor Müton, Hûrû Mûtons, Kulun Matons, and Naugâon-a 'new village' at least 60 years ago. "Whether these are separate tribes or simply different villages of one, I cannot say. A Rájah is at each, but they never go to war with one another, but fight on the contrary together, I believe, against any enemy. Their ák also is the same. "Of the Bor Duárias, Pání Duárias, and Námsangias, I cannot give an estimate, but I think that they have not less than 1,000 to 2,000 houses, each tribe. Some of the Abor tribes again are very small, and consist of but one village, and that a small one; as the village and tribe of Bánhsang (Bamboochang)."
"Between the Desang on the east and the Dik'ho, there are as many as 8 or 10 tribes having a frontage to Asám. From Desang to Luffry alone, only