| caption: |
news that Gaziphemah has been smashed up and the Manipuri force is now threatening Rujamah; Major Roma Sing arrives and denies any knowledge of the Manipuri force but refuses to accompany Thomson any further east |
| note: |
inaccurate spelling in the original text |
| text: |
24th January. Halted again at Sikhami. This morning some Nagas of Megwemah came into camp and informed me that the Manipuri Force had just smashed up Gaziphemah and were now threatening Rujamah, and that many of the fugitives from Gaziphemah had taken refuge in their village and that two of them had been cut off and murdered by the men of Makaibamah. |
| text: |
In the afternoon the Munipuri Major turned up and at Colonel Thomson's request I went over to his tent and was present during the conversation which ensued; the purport of which was as follows: Colonel Thomson first informed the Major of what he had heard regarding the Rajah having sent out a force towards the North-East and asked him whether there was any truth in it. The Major replied that this was the first he had heard about it and that he could not say whether any Force had been sent or not. Thomson then told him that he was to hold himself in readiness to march towards Gaziphemah in order that we might personally satisfy ourselves of the truth or falsehood of the report. The Major then said that he was afraid that the coolies would all bolt if we attempted to go further to the East. Thomson then told him that in that case he had better put a guard over them at once. The Major then replied that it was the order of the Rajah that they were all to refuse to proceed further towards the East and that he must therefore beg Colonel Thomson would forgive him for refusing to go on a step beyond Sikhami, and Colonel Thomson then told him that in that case he would ask me to assist him with coolies for until the matter regarding the Rajah having sent out a Force had been thoroughly cleared up, it was his duty to accompany me and accompany me he should, and he therefore warned the Major of the serious nature of the step he wished to take. The Major said that he was very sorry but that he was simply carrying out the orders of the Rajah and as he was leaving the tent, he added that it was impossible to go on without coolies or russud, upon which I informed him that he must make his own arrangements for coolies but [30] that as regards russud, I could assure him that as long as I had a seer of rice he could have half of it and that I did not think there would be any difficulty about russud, and hence our conversation ended. However I believe the Manipuries will think better of it by tomorrow morning for I cannot believe they are going to be so foolish as actually to abandon their Political Agent. Anyhow, we have decided that should they do so, Austin, Ogle and I can easily leave some order of our loads behind us here and thus let Colonel Thomson have a few coolies sufficient to enable him to accompany us, or until we come across the Manipuri marauding Force and order it to retire after which we can return to Sikhami and again pick up the loads we leave behind. |
