| caption: |
Thongal Major excuses himself for not rejoining Butler and asks him to deal with Viswemah-Sapvomah fight |
| note: |
inaccurate spelling in the original text |
| text: |
llth April. Very early this morning I sent up a second note (in Bengali and Manipuri translation) to Thongal Major telling him of the fight that had occurred between the Viswemah and Sapvomah men asking him (as I understood he was close by) to come over to see me so that we might talk the matter over and put a stop to this constant system of reprisals between the villages on either side of the border. Late in the evening I got a reply from the Major (in Manipuri which was translated by one of the Manipuri Subadars who brought it) to the effect that he had received my letter and although very anxious to rejoin me he extremely regretted that a very severe pain in the left side of the chest prevented his doing so. That the least movement caused him such pain, that he was unable to bear being moved in a doolie even, but that he hoped I would kindly settle all matters myself and that if I would only convey my orders to the three Subadars he had sent in they would at once carry them out. All this appears to me simply a dodge to get rid of me in order to have his wicked will of the Nagas, especially the Sapvomah lot, with whom I know the Manipuries have got at least one bone to pick, for having supplied us with rice, etc., at a time when Roomasing, etc., were pleading their inability to accompany us on for want of it. |
