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We got away rather earlier than usual for Shiroi, the road leading down the broad spur to the Lanier for miles. The valley is here broad, under rice cultivation, the hill slopes nearly bare with scattered oak trees now bursting into leaf. The flooding of the rice fields has commenced & the water had thus reduced the body of water in the Lanier very considerably as shewn by the green water weed growing on to the boulder stones. Breakfasted here in a small hut together with Butler & we then began the ascent of the long spur to Shiroi. As I had to keep the map going I was about the last up & found Thomson in the village at its highest point, while Butler had gone to search for good water. It appeared when they had first arrived the whole population had bolted, the men taking with them their spears & shields. They were now gradually coming in but there was hardly a woman or child in the place, save half a dozen very old people. There was a good deal of undecided useless talking about water & the place we should camp in & meanwhile the Munipuris had selected their ground & gone down to it & as they take very good care of themselves in the item of good water & very sensible they are to do so we followed them & pitched in the narrow belt of rice ground in bottom of the valley which fortunately was still dry & all got completely hutted before dusk. The boulders in the bed of the Lanier where we crossed were almost all of a dark green trap rock & I noticed that these were principally brought down by a large tributary on the RB & to the North of Shiroi spur. To the South from Shiroi is Langdang old & new & beyond again Choitar, all Tangkol villages. |
