The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

printed - tour diary of the Deputy Commissioner of the Naga Hills for the year 1870-1872 (John Butler) volume two

caption:

headache caused by sun; description of Bhipuma; unexplored country to north and east; prevalence of goitres

medium:

tours

person:

Marima clan/ Bhipuma Theboma clan/ Bhipuma Makhuma clan/ Bhipuma Rosionoma clan/ Bhipuma

ethnicgroup:

Kevimah Lhota

location:

Bhipuma Khubama Phurma Diyung R. (Doyang R.)

date:

27.2.1872

production:

person:	Butler/ John
date:	22.11.1870-17.2.1873

note:

inaccurate spelling in the original text

text:

[13] 27th February, Tuesday. Yesterday's stiff walk in a blazing sun gave me such an intensely painful headache I scarcely got any sleep last night and consequently felt so knocked up this morning I decided upon halting here to-day. The situation of Bhipumah is very similar to that of Sepamah with an almost perpendicular cliff on one side and more or less gently sloping spurs on the other. The village contains 109 houses divided into the following clans:-
__________________________________________________Houses
__________Marima___...___...___...___...___...______38
__________Theboma__...___...___...___...___...______32
__________Makhuma__...___...___...___...___...______22
__________Rosionoma_..___...___...___...___...______17
__________________________________________________-----
_____________________________________Total_..._____109
__________________________________________________-----

text:

The Biphuma men tell me that there are two Kevimah (or Lhota Naga) villages, Khubama and Phurma on the left bank of the Doyang, however I have been unable at present to get hold of anyone who has actually visited them, so although I believe the information to be correct, I have no proof of it. I must here add that up to date no European has ever before visited Biphuma and the country lying north and east of it. The whole of that tract situated north of latitude 25 degrees, 50 feet and east of longitude 94 degrees, 5 feet is therefore a terra incognita regarding which at present we know nothing, and I believe myself, simply judging from the distant view I have had of the country, that there must be numerous villages lying between the Doyang and the Rangamapani, for I cannot conceive it to be possible that so large a tract of fine undulating hills can be as utterly devoid of all human habitation as our maps would lead us to believe. However I hope in another day or two to be able to settle this point to a certain extent.

text:

By the way, I observe Goitu [sic] is very prevelent in this village (Biphuma) and strange to say the women seem to suffer from it much more than the men.

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