CHAPTER II.

Journal of a trip to the Mishmee Mountains, from the Debouching of the Lohit to about ten miles East of the Ghalooms. Lat. 27 degrees 50’ to 28 degrees 10’ N.; Long. 95 degrees 20’ to 96 degrees 40’ E.

I left Suddiya on the morning of the 15th October 1836, and halted at Noa Dihing Mookh, (river mouth) a place abounding in fish, and promising excellent sport both in fly and live-bait fishing.  The temperature of the Noa Dihing, an indolent stream flowing over a flat, sandy plain, was 79 degrees; that of the B. pooter, which falls in large volume rapidly from the mountains, was 67 degrees.  Fish congregate in vast numbers at the junction of rivers of different temperatures, and are there more easily captured than in other situations, a fact that ought to be borne in mind, whether for the mere object of sport or the more practical purpose of fisheries in India.

The following day (16th) we passed Choonpoora, where the rapids commence, and where stones first appear; one rapid, a little above Choonpoora, is severe.  There is a severe one also at Toranee Mookh, on which the Copper temple is situated; and one at Tingalee Mookh, on which Lattow is situated.  The river now commences to be more subdivided; there is but little sand deposited alone, but vast beds of sand and stones occur together.  The banks are clothed with jungle, and are occasionally skirted with tall grasses, but the churs or islands disappear it may be said with the sands, and are only formed in lower and more distant parts from the mountains, where the velocity of the current is less.  Temperature at 6 A.M. 66 degrees, 4 P.M. 76 degrees, (water of B. pooter 64.65,) 7 P.M. 72 degrees.

Buffaloes abundant, but I only saw a few.

The most interesting plants were a Cyclocodon, Liriodendron, Sanicula:  32 species were collected.

Oct. 17th.—­Reached Karam Mookh, about noon.  Rapids much increased, some very severe, especially that opposite Karam Mookh, which we crossed without accident, although as we crossed a confluence of two rapids, the water in the middle being much agitated; it was a wonder that no canoes were upset.  The bed of the river is still more divided, the spots between the streams being for the most part entirely composed of stones.  The lowest temperature of the B. pooter was 63 degrees.  A severe but short rapid occurs at Karam Mookh itself, the fall being very great, but the body of water small.  The water of this river is beautifully clear.  Its temperature at the Mookh 72 degrees.  The jungle extends down to both edges of the water, and the stream is not divided into branches.  My guide in the evening disgusted me by asking how many days I intended to stop at the Koond before my return to Suddiya, when I had engaged him expressly to go into the Mishmee hills, and not merely to Brama Koond, as the above question implied.  But such is the way in which our best designs depending on native agency are often tampered with.  Thermometer at 8 P.M. 64 degrees.  Species of Conaria grow abundantly on the banks!