| caption: |
to Wakching; Yungya - Kamahu head-taking |
| text: |
April 23rd. - To Wakching. Here we heard many stories of the privy politics and intrigues of the Yungya-Kamahu affair. Apparently the original plot was to cut up all the Kamahu party, largely women and including children, which had gone to the plains to buy salt and was due back the day following the evening which the actual killing took place. For this purpose a large number of the Yungya bucks were assembled in the jungle, the whole plan being originated by Shopen of Tangsa or his son Hamshen. Their pitch was queered by the four Yungya men who went down to the river the evening before the coup and alarmed Kamahu by taking the head on our bank. This was apparently an impromptu affair, the sight of the unprotected Kamahu men, fishing and unaware, having caused the hands of the Yungya scouts to "itch". |
| text: |
It also came out that the two recalcitrant clans of Yungya had in preparing for our visitation built two large granaries below the morung of their accommodating friends the Tangsabang clan, feeling confident enough that we should not touch their contents there. And rightly, for we did not, but their Tangsabang friends did, for when the recalcitrants got back after we were well away, devil a basketful of rice did they find left in them at all. Yet it is hard to tell what else they could have expected - verum amicum qui intuetur tanquam exemplar intuetur sui. They would certainly have done the same themselves. It was the day after we reached Wakching that thirteen houses of the Tangsabang clan took fire mysteriously at night. [SKETCH |
