The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-05
The Conquered Districr-Its Situation and
Production.

The Conquered DistricI-Its Situation and
Production.
The Looshai country, which has been Just opened
to English commerce and military influence by
The result OF TINS brief war; under Generals Bour-
CHER and Brownl0w Is an extensive tract OF hilly
territory, densey covered with Jungle traversed by
numerous streams and only sparsely Inhabited BY
semi-nOmadic race OF men, who pass their time
alternately in rude cultivation, hunting and internal
warfare, varied by occasional predatory incursions
territory occupied either by the British semi
independent States protected by Queen Victoria.
The district Is situated between "a 20 and
% 80 north latitude, and lies north OF the
British province OF Chttagong, southwest or the
protected State OF Munipore, south OF the tea dis
British protected State OF Tipperah The dimen-
sons OF this tract may be roughly given as sixty
The best way TO find the LOOsha country Is to draw
q line due east from Calcutta. AT a DISTANCE Of
about tnree hundred Lnhes TINS lihe strikes Inc
southeastern angle Of the district IN question. The
country Is hiy the sides Of the hills being rocky
ana precipitous. There are no roads. the territory
plored as the interior Of Africa. The best paths
are the dry beds OF streams, by traversing which
through the nils and jungle, but also shelter
from tho rays Of the sun afforded by Overhanglng
trees The best reason for there being no roads is
that there fixed places OF residence to-.
which roads could be directed. The LoOshais prac-
tise what Is called the 'joom" system OF cuitlva-
tion-that Is say they clear tract OF jungle near
their village by means OF fire. and when the rainy
season approaches dlbble in seeds me following
tract, Is cleared and sOwn In similar manner.
Naturally all the available ground near village Ii
soon exhausted, and the migration OF the whole VII
lage to some other spot then taxes place. The
age interval az which these mgrati0ns occur is ABOUT
five years. Nature reprOduceS itself rapidly IN that
part OF the world, and the clearance OF year Is
lmpenetrabe TWO years later. Hence guide tho
one season may be quite at iault few months later
1t is nearly q hundred years the British first
came into contact with the inhabitants OF tho
LOoshat region, and about three years ago they
despatched an abortive expedition against the in
hablants as pests OF the European tea planters IN
Cachar.
THE INHABITANTS AND WILD TRIBES ON THE NORTH.
EASTERN FRONTIER.
The northeastern frontier OF the British territory
in India being just now centre Of public interest
In consequence OF the close OF the war against the
Looshais, 1t IS proper to publish IN the HERALD
brief account OF the various wild tribes which
inhabit the districts. We commence with the
tribes occupying North Cachar and the hills round
MunipOre. This tract which lies wholly within
the watershed or the Berhampootra on its left
bank, Is bounded on the north. east and west by
the Burial, a ramifcation of the great mountain
chain which stretches from Assam TO Cape Negrais.
rne whole country Is one vast Jungle Of nj
tivated ground on which some OF the tribes tenn
porarily establish their villages. Tue Burial has
which are handicapped, and through the gOrges Of
the whole range strong southerIy wind gen.
Cac6ar there are several wild frbes, but they are
all supposed TO be the branches OF the principal
ones called Cacharees, Rockies, LoOhoOpas, Nee.
kris and Nagas. 1t s however, curious fact that
several of the smaller tribes clans not only differ
| from each other In manners and customs but also
| In language. In the valleys Of the Bernamp0otra
alone there are no less than twenty different clans,
each speaking dialect unintelligtble to the Others
as among the wild tribes of Africa. The Cacharees
differ little from the Assamese not only In appear
ance and customs, but also la dress and Ornamen-
tati0n. except In remote parts where both rude
and scanty. The Rockies are subdivided into two
classes, the Old aud the New. The Old Rockies,
physically the most powerful In Cachar, dress de-
Gently, and affect q mOdesty unknown to the other
tribes and the Looshais rank next to them in their
apparent aptitude for the acquisition of European
civilization.