The soil throughout the upper portion, and indeed for a depth of 15 to 20 feet, is red and clayish, and appears to inclose but small pieces of lignite; the remainder consists of greyish slate clay increasing in density as the pits do in depth: in this occur strata of lignite very imperfectly formed, which gives the grey mineral a slaty fracture, and among this the amber is found. [{78}] The deepest pit was about 40 feet, and the workmen had then come to water. All the amber I saw, except a few pieces, occurred as very small irregular deposits, and in no great abundance. The searching occupies but little time, as they look only among the lignite, which is at once obvious. No precautions are taken to prevent accidents from the falling in of the sides of the pits, which are in many places very close to each other (within two feet): but the soil is very tenacious.
We could not obtain any fine specimens; indeed at first the workmen denied having any at all, and told Mr. B. that they had been working for six years without success. They appear to have no index to favourable spots, but having once found a good pit they of course dig as many as possible as near and close together as they can. The most numerous occur at the highest part of the hill now worked. The article is much prized for ornaments by the Chinese and Singphos, but is never of much value; five rupees being a good price for a first-rate pair of earrings. Meinkhoon is visited by parties of Chinese for the purpose of procuring this article. There are at present here a Lupai Sooba and a few men, from a place three or four days’ journey beyond the Irrawaddi, waiting for amber. These men are much like the Chinese, whose dress they almost wear: they squat like them, and wear their hair like them; shoes, stockings, pantaloons, jackets, tunic. They are armed chiefly with firelocks, in the use of which at 50 yards two of the men were expert enough. They talk the Singpho language.
The vegetation of the plains, proceeding to the mines, is unchanged. Noticed Apluda, a Phyllanthus, Cacalia, Poa, etc. That of the hills is the same as that of the low ranges before traversed. The only new plants were a Celtis? a Krameria (the Celtis is the Boolla of Upper Assam,) Ventilago, Quercus or Castanea, Compositæ, etc. In the damp places a largish Loxotis, two or three Begoniæ, ditto Urticeæ occur. I noticed among and around the pits a species of Bambusa, Celtis, Kydia calycina, Clerodendrum infortunatum, Calamus, Areca, Dicksonia, Ficus, Pentaptera, and Rottlera. Pladera has ceased to appear.
Last night a sort of alarm occurred, and in consequence, this evening, the head cooly gave his orders to his men in the following terms: “Watch to-night well.” Nobody answering him, he continued, “Do you hear what I say?” Then addressed himself to them in the most obscene terms, which habit and uncivilized life seem to have adapted to common conversation amongst these people without any breach of modesty or decorum; and amongst the Assamese such expressions likewise form not an uncommon mode of familiar salutation.
March 27th.—Left about 7, and proceeded over the Meinkhoon plain in an easterly direction, in which the highest hills visible from the village lay. We continued east for some time, our course subsequently becoming more and more south. On reaching the Nempyokha, we proceeded up its bed for about two miles, the course occasionally becoming west. We reached Wollaboom at 12½. General direction S.E.; distance thirteen miles. The greater part of the country traversed consisted of low plains, splendidly adapted for halee cultivation. No villages were passed. Saw two paths, one leading to the N., one to the S. not far from Meinkhoon; of these the N. one leads to the hills, the S. to a Singpho village. And we passed burial places of some antiquity, and considerable extent. New plants; a Loranthus floribus viridibus, petalis 6 reflexis. Zizyphoidea, and an arborescent Bignonia foliis cordatis oppositis, integris, basi bi-glandulosis, paniculis racemiformibus, solitariis et axillaribus vel terminalibus et aggregatis. Marlea Sporobolus, Castanea edulis, Pteris dimediata, etc., occurred. Noticed the tracks of a Tiger, of Elks, and the Peewit or Curlew.
Woollaboom is rather a large village on the Nempyokha, which is here scarcely 40 yards broad; it is of no depth, and has not much stream. The villagers are Meereps, but seem to bear a small proportion to their Assamese slaves. It is not stockaded, but was so formerly. The Souba, like a Hero and a General, has erected a small stockade for himself near his house, out of which he might be with ease forced by a long spear, or a spear-head fastened to a bamboo. He is an enemy of the Duphas, indeed almost all appear to be so. Whatever events the return of this Gam to Assam may cause, it appears obvious to me, that the feuds in Hookhoom will not cease but with his death. So much is he hated, that B. informs me that his destruction is meditated directly the Meewoon retires to Mogam.
Water boiled at 210° Fahr. Elevat. 1064 feet.
List of Plants observed in Hookhoom, which occur likewise in Assam.
Eclipta floribus albis, Dactylon.
Pogonatherum crinitum, Cardamine.
Verbena chamædrys? Sisymbrium.
Phlebochiton extensum, Gærtnera.
Ehretia arenarum, Phrynium capitatum.
Erythrinæ, sp. ----- dichotomum.
Trematodon sabulosum, Hiræa.
Marchantia asamica, Naravalia.
Euphorbiacea nerifolia, Liriodendrum.
Adelia nereifolia, Roxb. Pæderia fœtida, and another.
Spilanthus, Azolla.
Convolvulus flore albo, Lemna.
Mimosa sudiyensis-stipulis am- Conyza graveolens,
plis foliaceis, on clearings.
Vandellia pedunculata, Asplenium nidus.
Bonnayæ sp. fol. spathulatis Ficus elastica.
floribus saturate cæruleis, Kydia calycina.
Cordia of Suddiya, Pothos scandens.
Ricinus communis, (See Journal, Croton malvæfolium.
p.174.) Hedychium.
Buddleia Neemda, Hedychim, bracteis
obtusis, apice
reflexis, concavis.
Urtica gigas,
Plantago media, Dicksonia.
Cotula, 2 species, Phlogacanthus, major.
Coladium nympheæfolium, Vitis.
Millingtonia pinnata, Butomus pygmæus.
Uricariæ sp. Cissampelos.
Saccharum spontaneum, Stauntonia.
Eleusine indica, Apludæ sp.
Cynoglossum canescens, Clerodendrum infortunatum.
Æsculus asamicus, Vandellia pedunculata.
Cynodon, Mangifera indica.
Ardisia fol. obovatis, umbellis Briedelia.
nutanti-pendulis, on the hills. Marlea.
Cheilosandra. Pteris dimidiata.
Loxotis major. Centotheca.
Bauhinia variegata. Castanea edulis.
Cacalia rosea. Sporobolus.