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62
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEB. 2, 1872.
MISCELLANEA. THE HILL TRIBES OF THE NORTH-EAST these savages as amongst the most civilized nations. It is
superfluous to state that early marriage is unknown among FRONTIER.
the wild tribes. Old Kukis have a long list of deities, It will not be out of place perhaps to give some account many of whom are malignant. The feeling against the of the various wild tribes that inhabit our North-East gods is intense; they are mere objects of terror, and if the frontiers, regarding whom very little is known by many. savages could only get a chance, they would most likely We will commence with the tribes occupying North Kacharbetake themselves to beating the gods. New Kukis Are and the hills round Munipur. This tract, which lies a short sturdy race, the women more squat even than the wholly within the watershed of the Brahmaputra on its men, but strong and lusty. The face as broad as it is long left bank, is bounded on the North, East, and West by the cheek bones high, broad, and prominent; the eyes small large branches of that river, and on the South by the and almond-shaped, and the nose short and flat, with wide Barel, A ramifiation of the great mountain chain which nostrils. New Kukis differ slightly in manners from the stretches from Asam to Cape Negrnis. The whole coun- Old Kukis. Their marriage costs the poorest two or three try is one vast jungle of bamboos, called Muli or Tola years of bondage, or about thirty rupees in gifts. There with a few patches of cultivated ground, on which some is a solemn marriage ceremony preceded by feasting and of the tribes temporarily establish their villages. The gumes, especially among the rich. The parties, clothed Barel has several enormously high peaks, the summits of in their best, both drink from a stoup of liquor,-that which are cloud-capped, and through the gorges of the being the common mode among these tribes of pledging whole range a strong southerly wind generally blows over truth and fidelity. A stoup is presented to the couple by North Kachar. In the lower ranges and the valleys, dense the thempu or priest, who mutters over them some words fogs and mists are common, and there is a general dampness in an unknown tongue, and ties round the bride's neck two throughout the year. The consequence of this is that
small threads of cotton, and one round that of the bridemalaria, breeding the most deadly epidemics, makes them
groom. The threads are allowed to wear out, and are never the most insalubrious places in India. The lungle through replaced. After the threads are put ou, the thempu pre out the country abounds with apes, buffaloes, elephants,
sents the happy pair with a small comb ench, Again mutters tigers, bears, leopards, and hyænas; there are snakes in
something in the unknown tongwe, and the marriage is cominfinite variety, and leeches, gnata, and flies, in swarms.
plete. A New K ki can put away his wife though she In North Kachar, there are several wild tribes, but be faultless, but in such a case, she is allowed to take away they are all supposed to be the branches of the prin- all his property, except his drinking vessel and the cloth cipal ones called Cacharis, Kukis, Luhupas, Míkirs, round his waist. Wives, however, are generally the slaves and Nagas. It is, however, a curious fact that several of of their husbands, and may be sold or pawned at the will of the smaller tribes, or clans, not only differ from each other the latter. A husband will even sometimes sell or pawn his in manners and customs, but also in language. In the wife to purchase trifle. This practice extends to all the Valleys of the Brahmaputra alone, there are no less than North-Eastern Tribes, even among the Manipuris, Astwenty different clans, ench speaking dinlect unintelligi- amese, and Maghs. New Kukis believe in a future stato ble to the others, as among the wild tribes of Africa. The The dead amongst them are supposed to assuine their forme Kacharis differ little from the Asamese not only in appear- again, and continue their lives in a land lying to the North; ance and customs, but also in dress and ornamentation, there the good men of the tribes are said to congregate, and except in remote parts where both are rude and scanty. The it is their heaven. The leading joys in it are those of war Kukis are subdivided into two classes, the Old and the and the chase, and in which rice grows without cultivation, New. The Old Kukis, physically the most powerful in and the jungles abound in game. In this particular, the Kachar, dress decently, and affect a modesty unknown to New Kukis much resemble the North American Indians. the other tribes. They are very fond of omaments, and the practice of burial prevails in all countries where wear rings, bracelets, armlets, necklaces, and ear-rings in the belief of the resurrection is entertained. Among the great numbers. Instead of boring the ears, they, in common New Kukis, Buthen is the Supreme Deity, the author with two or three clans of the New Kukis, cut off a piece of the universe. His wife is named Nangi, and his son of flesh in a circular form from the lower lobe, and insert into Thila. Thila's wife is named Gamu, and she has the the hole thus made an clastic shave of bamboo, so as to power of causing slight disteinpers, such as beadache, form a powerful spring acting equally on all sides of the toothache, &c. As their system of medicine is closely connecthole, which is thus gradually enlarged until it is made to ed with their theology, the physician is generally the priest, reach enormous dimensions, the outer flesh and skin of the whose business it is to offer sacrifices in addition to adminislobe being sufficiently stretched out to admit of a brass ortering medicine. The Luhupas, who reside near Manisilver ring four or five inches in circumference. The ear is! pur, are not very savage. They are of superior stature to also turned round so as to make the ear-ring lie at right the tribes around them. They have on their hair ou both angles to the side of the head, and unth through the ear and sides of the head, leaving a ridge on the top like that of a the ring, are hung other ornaments. Among the Old Ku- helmet. In war, they wear & head-dress like that of the kis, marriage is as much a religious as a civil rite. The Tangkuls, and as omamenta, tresses of women are allowed Ghalim or headman of the village must be present, and in to dangle on all sides. They use unusually long pears, in the presence of the congregation he blesses the young cou- wielding which they are very expert, being with these and ple, who stand with a foot each pon'a large stone in the centre shields more than 4 match for all the neighbouring tribes of the village. The custom of entering into bondage with their spears, bows, and poisoned arrows. The name of in the house of the parents of the bride before marriage, is the Luhupas spreads terror even into the far Burmese teralso prevalent among them as among the New Kukis. ritories. In other respecta, they nearly resemble the Mikira Courtship is well understood and delicately managed. When and the Munipuris. The Mikirs wear moustaches, and wooing has gone on for some time, the lover sends a friend have a peculiar dress. It is a sack put on like ashirt, conto the parents of the damsel with stoup of liquor : it theysistine of two pieces of cotton cloth, each about three feet quaff it, the omen ia favourable, if they decline, the senti- lone by one and a half broad, dyed with red stripes inental lover must give up all hope and seek his bride else- and fringed at both ends, sewed together like a bag where, & fact which demonstrates that parental authority with holes for the head and arms. They look upon is a natural law, as distinctly detined and understood among marriage as a matter purely of civil contract, unconnect
