| caption: |
comparison of area round Kohima with Samoogooting - latter unhealthy; possibility of new head-quarters at Kohima with suppression of feuds; further complaints against Maniporis |
| note: |
inaccurate spelling in the original text |
| text: |
13th February, Sunday. I walked over this morning and visited the small village of Theesamah about 4 miles off and containing about 30 houses the villagers appeared glad to see me and expressed themselves very anxious to be taken under our protection and defended from the attacks of their powerful neighbours at Kohimah. |
| text: |
The face of the country here is very different from that around Samoogootung being much more open and quite free of that dense forest jungle and thick undergrowth which causes the latter station to be so unhealthy than we are at a comparatively high elevation with five rolling mountains almost every one of which has a village on its summit and being the most populous portion of these hills, the very heart in fact of the Angamee (or Tengumah) clans I consider a well chosen spot any where in this vicinity (and there would be no difficulty in finding one) would be peculiarly well adopted to become the Head quarter station of the Naga Hills - A good road with an easy gradient could easily and with very little expense be made leading from [8] James town (the outpost at the Samoogootung hill) via Mizuphemah, Pherumah, Peephumah, Keroophemah and Theesamah to Kohimah and once fix the station here and positively declare that all feuds must cease we should soon have peace and quietness where all at present is war and discord. There is a very strong party in almost every village who are anxious for peace and who would I believe gladly pay a moderate revenue (say Re.1 per house) and aid me in restoring order, the three villages of Kohimah, Khonomah and Mozemah are the only ones that are at all likely to give us any trouble and one good example made the game would be entirely in our own hands and we should be enabled to dictate our own terms. Every village as is well known is divided into clans the majority of them at feud hating each other most cordially so that a combination is almost impossible, certainly most improbable and let one policy only be a bold and decided one and I think there is little fear as to what the result will be. |
| text: |
On returning to Koheemah I received deputations from the villages of Veeswimah, Meremah and Jakhamah who all brought in presents and stated that they had come in to pay their respects and assure me of a cordial reception at their respective villages which they all seemed very anxious I should visit. They asked me whether I was going to raise revenue from them and on my replying in the negative at once said "Whatever you want we will bring you but we hope you won't allow the Maneepoories to bully us any longer" and Jakhamah I am sorry to say brought another complaint against the Maneepoories regarding which I have again addressed [vide page 98] the Political Agent also suggesting that as up to date I have received no news of his approach it would perhaps be better for us to meet either at Keedeemah or Sapoomah as being nearer to our work in lieu of at Koheemah as was before agreed upon. |
