National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-03-06
AN AMERICAN IN ASSAM.

The Unexplored Country and. the
Singular Customs of Its Barbarous
Denizens.
Rev. DIR. L. w. Clark and wife, mission
aries to Assam, India, visited the city dur
ing the week as the guests of Mrs. Baltus
de Long, SOL Ninth street, where the doctor
was seen by reporter for the NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN,. lie was found 10 be genial,
smiddle-aged gentleman Of medium height.
His iron gray beard and hair, coupled with
pair Of bright twinkling blue eyes, set in
,bronzed and rugged countenance, evil
dence strong and energetic mind, not
unmiXed with quaint perception of the
humorous. 1t goes without saying that the
doctor is an interesting conversationalist
That peculiar color of hands and face
characteristic of the tourists in warm
climes is also possessed by the doctor.
81 was sent to Assam" said the DOCTOR
''under the auspices Of the American Bap-
tist Missionary Union, Of Boston, Mass,
which has 200 male and female missionaries
| in India. Myself and wife were the first
| white people to set foot In Assam, which is
small valley sixty-five miles in width and
| 500 miles in length, and has about 5000 900
| Of population. II is situated In the north
| GhsltIu part VI IlluuOObluu anu is uu English
| possession. The mountains that surround
| Assam are called the Maya Hills. The
English In Assam, besides the government
| officials, have extensive plantations on both
| sides Of the valley, at the base Of the hills.
Indigo and coffee are among their cultlva-
tions. The coffee plantations In Ceylon
have been extensive and profitable, but
have been abandoned because of insects and
fungus that attack the plant. The inhabl
tants Of the Maya Hills are wild mountain
GERS, living around the submits Of the noun
tains. Up to five years ago these people
were independent; the great wars OF India
never succeeded in subiecting them. They
delight in war, and are as barbarous as are
American Indians. In the same manner as
our Indians take the scalp the Maya war
riors take the head"
"Theyre not head eaters?n murmured
the scribe with a shudder, wondering If the
doctors long life In that country had not
led him to partake of the Assam customs.
"No," continued the doctor. "They are
called head cutters, and they ornament
their houses with long strings Of the skulls
of cnptives as tokens of their proves.
Unlike our Indians, they cultivate the soil
and entertain the highest respect toward
the women. Any obscene talk In the pres
ence of woman Is severely punished.
They work hard for their living, knowing
II they do not they must perish Their
homes consist OF rude bamboo houses with
| leaf roof.
''Medicine is not known, and they fancy
all sickness or evil that happens to them
is because some diety has been displeased
Hence the blood Of animals is shed as a sac
rifice to appease the indignant god. This
sacrifice first commences with fowl, then
a pig, and lastly cattle; If long continued
IL sometimes impoverishes whole family.
The general name for deity is 'soOnngram.
There are no special names TO their deities,
as they worship a house, site OF a house,
&c. All debts must be paid; they have not
yet learned how to repudiate.
"Of sin they have a strong impression.
Frequently untenanted houses are seen, all
possessions in the house having been abau.
doned. The idea is that It is sinful to steal
goods thus left. When some member Of a
family is kill ed by tiger, by drowning, or
by the falling of tree, these are considered
sinful persons, too polluted to be even
touched.
"Among the .hill people there is no caste
; The Assamese are betrothed at from to
: and marry at 10 years OF age, being then
fully developed. In appearance they are
much like the Chinese, but are much more
muscular and hardy. There is fine field
for Gospel teaching among them. When
first went among the Assamese, the English
/ were scared, but afterward rendered every
assistance, because they found we were es
tablishing peace on their border.
sup to the present time there have beer
four villages largely Christianized, and
many converts made. There is no written
language After many years Of labor / sue
cecded in reducing to writing In their Ian
guage a collection of hymns and schoo
} | books.n
. The doctor exhibited to the reporter thu
: first book printed in Assamese. 1t is
l translation OF II chapter Of the Bible, trans
7 lated by the doctor, and printed on littl'
American press sent from Boston to tn,
town of Molung.
) "And all the letters have but one SOUND
, apiece,n continued DR., Clark, "and thu
language is, in some respects, easier to &C
} quire on that account. The chief towns ii
Assam are GOhaty, Nowyong, Tezpor
) Sibsagor, and Dibroogur, which is the heaC
7 Of steam navigation of the Brhmapootri
= river, which was our nearest government
G station, though forty miles away, aud onll
: reached by paths. There are no roads; ant
r all travel is on the backs Of elephants
"Whcn do you return to Assam ~
: "Myself and wife sail next August, bl
| way Of England and the Suez canal How
+ do / like Washington? Very much indeed
e | see you are going to have a Worlds Elk
position, II is just what Washington need
Q and In due time will no doubt send al
/. Assam contribution, which may not be un
S interesting to Americans. leave to-mOr
| row at o'clock for New York city, wher
I will he for three weeks at No . Murra,
c street,
IA