| caption: |
punitive expedition to Sema village of Nungtang |
| caption: |
Relations with Tributary States and Frontier Affairs |
| caption: |
Salachu fined for raids against Molong |
| text: |
On the 26th, the party marched, via Mokokchung and Tuju to Molodubia, where an excellent camp had been prepared on a level piece of ground between Molodubia and Salachu. A halt was made on the 27th, in order that an enquiry might be instituted into certain charges against Salachu. In January 1884 a party of Salachu men murdered two men of Molong within British territory. After some delay, the headmen were induced to proceed to Sibsagar and submit to the payment of a fine. Within two months of this punishment, the Salachu men were again on the war-path; they lurked round the fields of Molong, ambuscaded their springs of water and panjied the village paths, but fortunately failed in obtaining any heads. The Salachu men admitted that they had gone on the war-path, but alleged that they had no wish to quarrel with Molong, the object of their raid being Kanching. This statement was completely disproved by the fact that the Molong fields are quite two miles off the road to Kanching. It was clear that a deliberate disobedience of Colonel Clarke's orders of February 1884 had been committed, and a fine of Rs.200 was forthwith imposed, this sum being at once collected and paid. The villages of Molodubia and Salachu contain each about 250 houses; they carry on an extensive trade with the plains, and many of the men talk Assamese with a fair degree of fluency. |
