sometimes come on a
certain species of tree, of which they are in great dread. They cannot
be induced to cut it down and so the tree remains. Such a one stood
opposite my bungalow, a stately, handsome monarch of the forest. It was
a sacred, or rather a haunted tree, but as its shade was injurious to
tea-plant growth I was determined to have it destroyed. None of my
people would touch it; so I sent over to a neighbour and explained the
facts to him, requesting him to send over a gang of his men to do the
deed. I was to see that they had no communication with my own people.
Well, his men came and were put to work with axes. The result? Two of
them died that day and the rest bolted. Yet this is not more
extraordinary than people dying of imaginary snake bites.

Shortly afterwards an incident occurred to still further strengthen the
native belief that the tree was haunted. I had a very fine bull terrier
which slept in the porch at night, the night-watchman also sleeping
there. One time I was aroused by terrific yells from the dog, and called
to the watchman to know the trouble. After apparently recovering from
his fright he told me the devil had come from the tree and carried off
the dog. The morning showed traces of a tiger's or leopard's pugs, and
my poor terrier was of course never seen again.

The hill tribes surrounding the valley of Cachar were the Kassias,
Nagas, Kookies, Munipoories and Looshais, all of very similar type,
except that the Munipoories were of somewhat lighter skin, were more
civilized and handsomer. The Kassias were noted for their wonderful
muscular development, no doubt accounted for by their being
mountaineers, their poonjes (villages) being situated on the sides of
high and steep mountains. All their market products, supplies, etc.,
were packed up and down these hills in thoppas, a sort of baskets or
chairs slung on the back by a band over the forehead. In this way even a
heavy man would be carried up the steep mountain-side, and generally by
a woman.

Once, in later years, whilst in Mexico, near Crizaba, I was intensely
surprised to meet in the forest a string of Indios going to market and
using this identical thoppa; the similar cut of the hair across the
forehead, the blanket and dress, the physical features, even the
peculiar grunt emitted when carrying a weight, settled for me the
long-disputed question of the origin of the Aztecs. In Venezuela I saw
exactly the same type in Castro's Indi