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to Taponmai; fines imposed after Gaidhiliu uprising; Kukis drowned; clay pot-making |
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17th Via Taponmei (Dupema) to Tesangkimukh. I counted Taponmai which is reckoned locally a simple village. They are assessed at Rs 3/- at present but their share in the Gaidhiliu business was small. They did not send her any present of mithun or buffalo as many villages did, and performed no pujas. Unfortunately for them however a village soothsayer, an immigrant from Impai, saw Gaidhiliu in vision and she threatened to return the whole village into stone if the instructions she gave were not carried out - A lodge with thirty doors was to be built for her. The village thought it would be safe not to risk being turned into stone and hastily put up a long building with thirty doors in a line - there cannot have been much else but doors in front - and it was barely finished when sepoys came from Henima and destroyed it, and arrested the seer, who went to jail, when he came out the village ejected him saying that he alone was responsible for their misfortunes. Their increased revenues has been paid in full and also all their fine of rice. I think there is a fair case for reducing their revenue to the normal rate again as they requested. Laloi made a similar application, but with less justification except on the grounds of poverty; Jaona came in to ask that Rs.20/- due to them in Kohima might be credited as revenue. They have no other money at all, and cannot pay their rice fine either. |
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Eight people (Kukis) of Geljang in Manipur were drowned yesterday in crossing the Barak; six were caught in Kandung on this side by the rise of the river; two of their friends came down and rafted across for them but the raft overturned on the way back. |
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Just outside Tapon I noticed the puddles in the path covered with what appeared to be some kind of aphis. The Thado call them 'maimi' and say that they fall in the rain and disappear when the puddles dries. I also learned that the Thado will not eat quail for fear of losing the ability to climb trees. |
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They are making pots in Tapon. The technique is apparently different to that of Semas or of the Kalyokengyu of Laruri. A clay cylinder is made and worked down to meet and form the bottom at one end. The clay is mixed with soap made from the bark normally used for washing the hair (? Sapinda detergens), which I have not seen done before. |
