| caption: |
halt with Dr Brown who awaits supplies; surveying; Kookies ordered to take out gun licences and forbidden to sell guns to Nagas; report of shops licenced to sell guns in North Cachar |
| note: |
inaccurate spelling in the original text |
| text: |
16th March, Wednesday. Learning from Dr. Brown that he was unable to march to-day as the supplies he was expecting in from Munipoor had not yet arrived, I gladly also decided upon halting and passed the day in examining the country and am delighted to add have succeeded in identifying the Makho river with the Mookroo and the Kotsah or Kolkong Purbut with the Dao Tighur Mountain referred to in the boundary report and if I am correct, which I shall be better able to tell tomorrow, this completes the boundary. |
| text: |
[14] In the evening I received visits from Hoting-Mang-Thado Honsha of Jumpi a man who appears to be greatly respected and looked up to by all the Kookees and from Tongkhopaon Honsha of Jelpee. In the course of our conversation it came out that these Kookees have been in the habit of selling both guns and ammunitions to the Nagas and I was also told by them that there was not the least difficulty in the way of the Naga obtaining these articles even if they didn't sell them for they had only to go to Cachar to buy any quantity they could afford to pay for as there were shops there licenced to sell them, but I can scarcely credit it. However I have issued orders to the Kookies directing them to take out licenses from me for every gun in their possession and have forbidden them to sell either guns or ammunition to any Naga warning them that they will render themselves liable to punishment if they do so, I propose also to enquire from the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar whether there are any shops in his jurisdiction licensed to sell guns and ammunitions and if there are to address the Government on the subject for I can't conceive anything more dangerous than for us actually to put guns voluntarily into the hands of these Highlanders which is what it virtually amounts to. Once let the Angamees supply themselves with firearms and I should like to see the officer who could hold the Naga Hills with 150 policemen. They have got quite enough guns and more than is generally supposed among them as it is. |
