our theological discussion lasted far into the night, and the remarks of the Mishmee chief on us may be recorded as illustrative of the dark superstition which prevails among these tribes. On hearing that in my country there was a Good Spirit who ruled all the demons, Poso observed, 'Ah! you English people must be very happy in having such a good and powerful demon in your country. The Mishmees are very unfortunate—we are everywhere surrounded by demons; they live in the rivers, mountains, and trees; they walk about in the dark and live in the winds; we are constantly suffering from them.' Having said so much he stopped and appeared confused, and it was some time before he renewed the conversation. In answer to a question as

to which demon he thought the strongest, after some hesitation he said that the demon of fire was the strongest and most dangerous, as he dried up the water and burnt the mountains; he was also good-natured, as he warmed them and cooked their food, a virtue which seemed to have struck him for the first time, as he remarked with an emphatic grunt that 'this was good.' Mine host was philosophising, so I described monotheism to him, and it seemed to create a very pleasing impression. Of course I did not speak to him of the Saviour, as I feared that the Christian religion with its wonderful mystery might be too much for the halffetishist and half-polytheistic savage to understand, besides which, I saw that Poso was beginning to be excessively uncomfortable, and Chowsam told me not to talk about demons, as the Mishmees disliked it, and

begged of me for the future to abstain from this subject.

My conversation with Poso, however, served to call up some reflections when I had rolled myself up in a blanket for the night. Here I was among a people who knew nothing of a God, their lives spent amidst a slavish fear of unseen evil spirits, and yet ready in the slow progress of their thoughts to offer up allegiance to one Great Spirit, of whom they might now be said to have heard for the first time. Their poor reasons were incapable of conceiving a notion of anything great and good. Alas! it was a sorry picture, and I almost wished that I was a missionary that I might teach them to become worshippers of one God instead of many, for it was evident that as polytheists they were ripe for receiving monotheism. If our young unmarried Protestant missionaries would, instead of wasting their efforts on the more educated and philosophical people of China, Burmah, and India, go unostentatiously amongst the polytheistic tribes bordering our Indian frontiers and make the country of these people the field of their labours, entering fully into their spirit and mental condition, they would meet with a success and do a work worthy of disciples of the great teacher Christ.

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CHAPTER XV.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE MEJUS.

A Dangerous Reckoning-The Negro Disarmed-Ill Feeling-FeverChief Discouraged-Pushing On-My Bearers-Khamtee Kindness— Kaysong A Welcome Pig Mishmee Improvidence - Mode of Living-Hospitable Host-The Mysterious Guest-An Unwelcome Message-A Deep Plot-Larkong-A Christmas Feast.

OUR leave-taking with Poso was not over friendly. Chowsam had adhered to his determination of not paying the Mishmee more than a fair price for the provisions furnished us. Consequently we were followed to the outside of the house by Poso and his numerous wives, jeering most insultingly, while the men of the house stood by laughing. This was too much for my hot-blooded Khamtees: they threw down their loads and drawing their knives, ranged themselves alongside of their chief, begging to be allowed to cut up the Mishmee dogs. Chowsam, however, restrained them until Poso brandished his knife, when I saw a sparkle in his eye that warned me to interfere. I stepped between the irate chiefs, and presenting my revolver at the head of Poso, signed to him to stand back, an order that was instantly and respectfully obeyed. Then signing to the Khamtees to take up their baggage, I begged Chowsam

Chowsam and the Negro.

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to put away his knife, which he did, with a loud laugh. of defiance at Poso; then turning on his heel he followed his men, Philip and myself bringing up the rear. In justice to the old chief Poso I must say that he treated me well, considering that he owes his ruin to the British authorities. All his slaves have taken refuge in the plains about the Bramakund, and are living under our protection as freemen, which he thinks is a great wrong, while he, in common with many other chiefs, feels deeply insulted by the fact that their runaway slaves are introduced to the English officials under the title of gam or chief by the native political officers, who are perfectly aware of the condition of these refugees.

This treatment of their slaves is a great insult to the chiefs, whose pride is such that they can bear the loss of their slaves, but not so their elevation to the rank of chiefs, to which proceeding we owe the fact that most of the influential chiefs hold aloof from us and rarely visit Sudiya.

During the critical period the negro quietly decamped, only reappearing some hours afterwards at the midday halt. When Chowsam saw him his passion again broke forth in loud and angry expressions, which had the effect of driving the negro to take shelter behind me. There was evidently something wrong, but for a long time I could not get at the truth, as the negro would not interpret truly, and the more I enquired the angrier Chowsam became. At last I took him aside and mustering with a great effort all my knowledge of Assamese, I discovered that during our first night at

Poso's the negro had got drunk while I was asleep and abused Chowsam before the Mishmees, after which he had roamed through Poso's house insulting the women, and as he was armed with a revolver he had threatened to shoot Chowsam and the chief for interfering to prevent him. Having heard this story, I applied to Philip, who corroborated it, saying that he had been afraid to tell me, lest I should have been roused to punish the negro, who he feared was a desperate ruffian. This was a pleasant state of affairs, but I acted promptly, calling up the negro, who approached us with a good deal of swagger. I drew my revolver, cocked it, and covering his body, desired him to lay down his knife and revolver ; he hesitated for a moment, but seeing that I was in earnest, he unbuckled his weapons and laid them on the ground. I then warned him against such conduct for the future, and bade one of the Khamtees take possession of his weapons. Having thus sat in judgment, we made a frugal meal in silence and continued on to our halting-place for the night.

Such occurrences as these sadly interfere with the harmony of a party placed as we were; and even when we camped for the night everyone maintained a sullen. silence. The country thus far was still very mountainous; at times we ascended the sides of steep precipices, and at others crept along the rugged, dry beds of mountain streams-everywhere the signs of water were visible, fissures in the hill sides, and deep ravines, showed the destructive force of the summer rains which fed the mountain streams. The country