Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-02-24
CAPTURED BY NaGAS.

CAPTURED BY haGAS.
In 1913 there were no steamers plvino
up the Brahmaputra river. SO. after
reaching Calcutta, we had the prospect
OF three-months' voyage in boats. I
was assured | should find it a monoto-
nous journey and, notwithstanding the
many and varied scenes which we dailv
witnessed, / must own I was heartily
GLAD when we arrived at Nazareh. the
headquarters of the Assam Tea Com
pany. Here We were Hospitality enter
tanned by the manager and officers of
the company, and after few days rest
left Tor oCr home, a five-days' journey.
on elephants. We arrived safely at our
destination not much the worse for our
trip, but much shaken by the iolting Of
the elephants, and much bitten by the
mosquitoes on the way.
Isoon learned Bengalee and Assamese
but, although the Nagas often paid ms
visits, and were apparently the best of
friends, | had not succeeded in learn
ing any of their language, nor did [ ac-
quire any confidence in them but we
lived, as we thought, in perfect security.
and, although we heard of occasional
raids by the hill tribes, they were not
in our direction. The Nagas are n
sturdy, ugly. treacherous, but withal
brave race, much given to head hunting.
like most of the tribes on our northeast
ern frontier; but they had been severe
ly handled by our troops not long be-
fore, and it was thought they had set
tied down into peaceable folks.
Things went on quietly enough till
November, 1S47. My husband had Just
left for few days on one of his half
yearly journeys. had been very busy
all day the season was an unusually
sickly one, and our hospital was full OF
sick women and children, on whom |
had been attending all day and I was
thoroughly tired before l retired to rest.
had noticed many Nagas, unaccom-
panied by any of their women, go past
our lines that day; and, though had
been told it was bad sign when these
savages came down into the plains
alone, never gave it a thought and,
after seeing everything made fast, l went
to bed | had not been asleep for more
than an hour or two when l was awak-
ened by the most fearful yells and
screams of men, women and children,
together with the glare of our tea-houses
and coolie-lines on fire had just time
to spring out of bed and put on few
clothes, when our own bungalow was
surrounded by band of savages, armed
with spears and clubs, and carrying
torches, which they threw on our roof.
The place was instantaneously in flames;
and, TO escape suffocation, rushed out
as was, and was Immediately felled to
the ground and lay insensible for some
time. When | recovered, found my
self pinioned, while all around me was
desolation. Our late home was a mass OF
chnrred and smoking ruins and oh |
horror of horrors. a pile of heads of men,
women and children were lying close by
me The savages were hunting about
for more victims. Many of them were
drunk and covered with blood; and
every new and then an agonizing scream
and an exultant laugh would proclaim
that some wretch had been but too sue
cessful in his search, and that another
poor coolie had been discovered and sac
rificed.
This dreadful scene lasted fully two
hours, when the Nagas seemed satisfied
that there were no more victims alive,
and gathered together round where /
lay, and apparently discussed what my
fate was to be. Some were evidently
clamorous for my head; others-and
among them 1 fancied were some who
had been in the habit of visiting us
we're more humanely inclined, and at
one time / thought it would end in
fight between the two factions. But
another and stronger party, headed by
chief whom l recognized as one to
whom my husband had shown much
kindness, and whose child had been
nursed by me through dangerous i'll
ness, at once decided my fate by order
ing stretcher to be prepared, on which
[ was placed rnI carried by two men
along the Jungle path leading to the
mountains. NV head was fearfully
swollen from the blow had received
I suffered fortunes from racklng pains
in the head. and also from cold, for |
was but partially dressed, and the
weather in Assam, especially in the hllly
districts. is bitterly cold from November
until the middle Of February. As it my
other 1niseries were not enough, was
| almost eaten alive by mosquitoes, and
every now and then horrid tree leeches
wouid fail down upon me as we brushed
through the Jungle, immediately fasten
ON me and suck away till from replenon
thew fell of. We moved at rapid rate
All the remainder Of that night and till
Noon next dav. when we halted Tor an
hour by stream, and where | must
have AGAIN become insensible, for L re-
member nothing further TIL the STARRY
skv above proclaimed night once more;
| but still our party hurried on hol 'iiei
we halt till close of daybreak.
As we wound around the nlu, ap q
steep path, leading to fortified village,
| the savages began to yeli forth ciiaii.'
many of them danced ana caPeIeu;
while tho women coo-cooed ana ciappsu
their hands, bowling their heads 70 the
| ground rs we passed by anu alai''sV
/ the yelling of men, women and chnuisi''
the beating of tom-toms, gongs ana M
struments resembling those called ch9i-
era horns in India. we entered 1te s.oe i.
ade by a narrow doorway. The stock
ode itself was nearly square, each
face about IT'S yards long. On tnree
sides there were houses, bnlit IN long
lines and well raised off the ground,
and the fourth side, the only one appar-
emily approachable by an enemy, was
strongly fortified, and the space IN 'front.'
naugied. Pangies IRE bamboo slihes,
hardened. sharpened and Jagged, driven
into the ground for some distance roui y,
avarv stockade, and covered over WIN
| salIen leaves. Often they are pclsohsu.
Tbey will go through the tougnest sois.
and once in the foot cannot be extracseu !,
s snd # poisoned death follows in an , hour
a al two = Hence they are greatly dread cad,
- III w Several gingalls were placed ana ne,
md ride towers fanked the position ioas ~ ~
when when week Toeks ready to hurI down upon
rather ;snvad;nr foe. In the center Of the
an ,ac iu ade was long pole, and arranged gel
e I9u aayals buloes and deer while ,,, s,ea
ugnIy wbicL we're forthwith SIAM