| caption: |
punitive expedition to Sema village of Nungtang |
| caption: |
Relations with Tributary States and Frontier Affairs |
| caption: |
Lopphemi warned not to murder again and ordered to supply provisions; to Ungma; smoking |
| text: |
On the 21st, leaving 50 men in charge of the camp at Nankam, the Deputy-Commissioner proceeded with the remaining 50 to Lopphemi. The road was covered with panjis and pitfalls, but after a slow and tedious march, we succeeded in occupying Lopphemi without meeting with any opposition. A havildar received a severe wound in the leg from a panji, and several Nankam men who accompanied the party were also slightly wounded. In a very short time the headmen of Lopphemi came in and asked the Deputy-Commissioner to come out and parley with them. They placed their spears on the ground and advanced 100 yards, and leaving the escort, the Deputy-Commissioner advanced 100 yards to meet them. He enquired whey they had panjied the approaches to their village and they replied that fugitives from Nungtang had informed them that 500 sepoys were coming to destroy all the Sema communities and they had panjied the paths from fear. They admitted without hesitation that they had recently taken four heads from Nankam, but alleged that this was in retaliation for the murder of the son of their headman. They were warned that all acts of this nature were henceforth prohibited, that any infringement of this order would be severely punished, and were called upon to supply the escort with provisions. They readily complied with this request and the party camped for the night in the middle of the village. |
| text: |
The party left Lopphemi at noon, and reached Ungma at 5 p.m. Ungma is a large Ao village containing on a rough estimate 1,500 houses. The people were singularly apathetic; every man, woman and child smoked, and they all appeared intoxicated. |
