The Opelousas courier., 1886-07-10
WARRIORS OF ASSAM.
A Missionary's Life in a Corner
of Hindostan.
a People Who Ornament THEW Houses
With Human Skulls,

II was sent to Assam" said DR.. E. W.
Clark, a missionary, to a reporter of
the Washington Republican, under the
nuspices"of the American Baptist Mission
airy union, of Boston, Mass. Myself and
wife Were the first white people to set
foot in Assam, which is asmall valley six
tJ-fve miles in width and 500 miles in
length, and has about 5000, 900 of popu-
lation.
"It is situated in the northwestern
part of Hindoostan and is an English
possession. The inhabitants of the Maya
Hills are wild mountaineers, living
around the SUBMITS of the mountains.
Up to five years ago these people were in
dependent; the great wars of India never
succeeded in subjecting them. They de-
light in war and are barbarous as are
American Indians. In the same manner
as our Indians take the scalp the Maya
warriors take the head"
"They're not head-caters?" mur rured
the scribe, with a shudder, wondering if
the doctors long life in that country had
not led him to partake of the Assam Gus
toms.
"No," continued the doctor. ''They
are called head cutters, and they orna-
ment their houses with long strings of
skulls of captives as tokens of their Prov
ess. Unlike our Indians, they cultivate
the soil and entertain the highest respect
toward the women. Any obscene talk
in the presence of a woman is severely
punished. They work hard for their liy-
ing, knowing if 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 happen to
them is because some deity has been dis
pleased. Hence the blood of animals is
shed as a sacrifice to appease the indig-
nant god. This sacrifice first commences
with a fowl, ten a pig, and lastly cattle;
if long continued it sometimes impover-
ishes a whole family, The general nam
for deity is 'soonngram.' There are no
special names for their deities, as they
worship a house, site of a house, etc.
All debts must be paid; they have not
learned how to repudiate.
"Of sin they have a strong impression.
Frequently untenanted houses are seen,
all possessions in the house having been
abandoned. The idea is that it is sinful
to steal goods thus left. When some
member of a family is killed by a tiger.
by drowning or by the falling of a 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 three to five and marry at ten years
of age, being then fully developed. In
appearance they are much like the Chin
ese, but are much more muscular and
hardy. There is a fine field for gospel
teaching among them. When / first
went among the Assainese the English
were scared, but afterwerd rendered eve-
ry assistance, because they found we
were establishing peace ON their border.
'Up to the present time there have
been four villages largely Christianized
and many converts made. There is no
written language. After many years of
labor | succeeded in reducing to writing
in their language a collection of hymns
and school books
The doctor exhibited the first book
printed in Assamese. It is q translation
Of a chapter of the Bible, translated by
the doctor, and printed on a little Amer
lean press sent from Boston to the town
of Molung.
"And all the letters have but one
sound apiece, continued DIR. Clark, land
the language is in some respects, easier to
acquire ON that account. The chief
towns in Assam are Gohaty, Nowyong,
Tezpor, sibsagor and Dibroogur, which
is the head of steam navigation of the
Brahamapootra river, which was our
nearest government station, though forty
miles away, and only reached by paths.
There are no roads, and all travel is ON
the back of elephants