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Thachumi pay fine for cattle raiding; discussions about Sakhalu settling on Thachumi's land; little coin, so fines paid in mithan, cloths etc. |
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To Thachumi. On the way the Gaonbura who hitherto had sent his son only, met me with a little modhu and many lies. I told him to go and call the principal cattle thief, which he did. Then on reaching the village I sent for two more men I wanted who came in and I then hand-cuffed all four and had them tied in the quarter-guard. When they found they were intended to go back with me to Kohima the fines and outstanding debts started to come in - mostly subscribed to by rather reluctant neighbours, I think, but the feeling of standing by a fellow villager, however obnoxious, is usually strong, I think, at this end of the frontier. At the other they sell them on the least provocation and for a low price too, to their enemies. Ultimately by 8pm all the stolen property was restored and a fine of Rs30/- in addition for the trouble of having had to come here. It will do to pay the coolies with that carried the escort from Primi [sic], and leave a little over, perhaps. In the interval I interviewed hordes of Semas, some with salaams only and more even with complaints, also several Sangtam and one or two Yachungr villages in with salaams merely. |
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Sakhalu was here with a wild scheme for a settlement on Thachumi land with the consent of Thachumi. It is true that he has got some Lukami khel men to agree to his and their making a joint village between Thachumi and Lumakami, but the rest of Thachumi said they had not heard of the plan and objected most emphatically. Finally, as soon as they heard me tell Nitoi that it was time that Kata-kati between Nikiya and Thachumi ceased, the Lukami khel themselves hurriedly backed out of their agreement, considering such a costly insurance policy no longer necessary. Nitoi then mooted a village to be built by Sakhalu on the site once cleared and then vacated by Nikiya owing to his untimely end. I said that Sakhalu might go there when he and Thachumi and Lumakami and Sitimi, not to mention Nitoi, were all agreed as to the boundaries to be observed. Probably Lumakami and Sitimi are little affected, but the land was always in dispute between Nikiya and Thachumi, I fancy. |
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There is very little coin in circulation here. Mithan is of course everywhere recognized as a suitable medium for the payment of fines, but one was paid in cloths and another payment started in rupees, proceeded with spear-heads and concluded with a pair of red cane leggings. The payee took it as a matter of course. |
