iv THE THADO CLAN 197

in the forest, two or three of the party ascend some convenient
tree, whose branches overhang the track, the remainder follow
it up, and having got on the other side of the herd scare it
towards the ambush by shouting, beating gongs, and discharg-
ing firearms. Here, while passing, the animals are assailed
from above with long spears having huge iron barbs covered
with deadly poison ; every wound inflicted results in the death
of the animal at not more than half a mile from the spot
on which he was hit. So wary are the elephants, however, that
it is seldom that more than two out of a herd are killed.
At the place where their game is found dead, they commence
cutting him up, and extract his tusks ; laden with these and as
much of the flesh as they can carry, they return home, and
other parties go out and encamp in the neighbourhood of the
carcase until they have entirely consumed it, or are driven
away by the effluvia of decomposition. Portions of the flesh
that they cannot immediately eat are dried and smoked to be
kept for future consumption. The Kookis also hunt the
methin or wild cow, which they have likewise succeeded in
domesticating, having introduced the breed to Northern
Cachar.

" The deadly poison used by the Kookis is, they say, extracted
from a tree which does not grow in these parts, but the article
is brought to them for sale by tribes inhabiting the borders of
Manipur. The substance is of a dark blue or black colour and
of about the consistency of common resin. To make it service-
able it is ground down with capsicum seeds and tobacco juice,
so as to form a pulp, with which the weapons are smeared,
cotton soaked in the mixture being also tied to the iron under
the barb. I had once the cruelty to try the effect of this
poison on two domestic fowls. To one I administered internally
a dose equal to about two common-sized pills, and I punctured
one of the legs of the other, so as merely to draw blood, with
the pointed bamboo about the size of a toothpick which had
been dipped into the mixture. The latter died in twenty
minutes without much apparent pain, and in the former no
effects whatever could be perceived, and it may be crowing to
the present day. Another poison, called ' deo-bi,' is used by the
Kookis to kill fish, and has an intoxicating effect upon them