The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

published - Appendices. 'Detailed Report on the Naga Hills Expedition of 1878-80', Capt. P.J. Maitland

caption:

transport and supplies

caption:

transport

medium:

reports

person:

Wingate/ Lt.

production:

person:	Maitland/ Capt. P.J.
date:	1880

acquirer:

person:	India Office Library, London
refnum:	IOR L/MIL/17/18/24

text:

TRANSPORT.

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The transport arrangements for supplying the Naga Hills Field Force from its base on the Brahmaputra were as follows:-

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From Nikriting to Golaghat (17 miles) carts were employed; but after some time Lieutenant Wingate, Commissariat Officer, made arrangements with the India General Steam Navigation Company to deliver supplies at Golaghat itself; this of course allowed of the stage being suppressed, and the " large bullock hackery establishment" abolished.

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( Brigadier General Nation's No. 7, " Field Operations- Transport," 5th January 1880.)

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The remainder of the road was worked as follows:-

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From Golaghat to-

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(1) Borpathar; 18 miles; at first carts; but water carriage from the mouth of the Dansiri ( Dansiri-mukh), where steamers discharge, was afterwards substituted.

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(2) Hariajan; 17 miles; elephants.

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(3) Dimapur; 18 miles; ditto.

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(4) Nichi Guard; 9 miles; ditto. The elephants were worked by stages.

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(5) Zumha Pani; 8 miles; about 200 Mikir and Kasia coolies: it is understood that this stage was direct, by the defile of the Diphupani.

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(6) Pherima Pani; 8 miles; elephants: this stage is fairly level.

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(7) Piphima; 7 miles; forty four baggage ponies.

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Locally obtained coolies were used for the stage from Piphima to Sachima or Kohima, and on all occasions for the field equipment of the troops.

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Lieutenant Wingate, Commissariat Officer with the expedition, computes the number of boats, carts, cattle, and coolies altogether employed by his department as under. These are exclusive of the transport train afterwards organised, and of locally entertained Naga coolies-
_Boats_____...__________...________..._____..._700
_Carts_____...__________...________..._____..._210
_Elephants_...__________...________..._____..._305
_Ponies____...__________...________..._____..._227
_Coolies___...__________...________..._____..._405

text:

Boats.- The boats were country boats, procured and worked under arrangements made by the Assistant Commissioner at Golaghat. They delivered 3,000 maunds a month at Borpathar, which is about 60 miles by water from Dansiri-mukh, where they took in their cargoes. Several flotillas of small ten-maund boats got up as far as Dimapur, and their assistance was valuable. It is thought that water carriage might have been more extensively employed with advantage.

text:

Carts.- The carts were bullock carts the property of Government. At first 170 hired carts were used, but these were afterwards replaced by carts belonging to the Commissariat. A good cart road to the foot of the hills is a great desideratum, but would require extensively repairs after every rainy season.

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