PUNITIVE EXPEDITION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 570, 24 May 1913, Page 7

PUNITIVE EXPEDITION.

BRITISH FORCE ENCOUNTER HEAD-HUNTERS. ENEMY DRIVEN OFF. The north eastern frontier of India ia once again seriously disturbed. News of desperate fighting with savage tribe 3 comes from the remote Naga Hills in the Western limit of the Himalayas. The disaffected area lies about twelve miles from Tamlu, the farthest military police outpost, and to the east of the Dikku river, which stream demarcates the eastern limit of the Naga Hills district. It consists of a strong combination of six large villages, mustering over 1500 able bodied, Well armed men. Then names of these villages are Chungwe, Chin long, Gnangching, and the three Totuks. inhabited by warlike Miri Nngas outside British control, The cause of the present dsiturbance was a repetition amongst these savage tribea of "head running" last July. Some of the British subjects from Wanching village, in the Naga Hills district, were then invited into the Chinlong forests to cut "salee," an edible creeper. THEY WERE TREACHEROUSLY ATTACKED by a number of armed Chir.long men, who killed three of them. The heads of these three unfortunates were conveyed in triumph to Chinlong, where "gennas"—feasts —are held, in which the six above-named villages participated. On hearing this Mr Webster, 1.C.5., the District Commissioner of the Naga Hills, went to Wanching, and sent messengers to Chinlong, demanding the surrender of the actual offenders. This was refused by the chiefs, who replied that they were willing to offer substitutes, but if this did not satisfy the Government they were ready to fight. Subsequent attempts at a peaceful settlement proving vain, a punitive force was accordingly despatched. This force concentrated at ChingDhoi, and on February sth commenced the advance against Chinlong, the main objective, and after crossing the Auying river, advanced up a steep disused "arrah" path, until the Chin-long-Ne6an road was reached. At this point the advance guard detached a party to a "tela" —spur —on the left flank. A party of the enemy being dsicovered in a cleverly constructed trench, being detected by the glint of the sun on one of their daos- —-axes. Fire was immediately opened on them at a range of 40yde, but as this failed to dislodge them the advance guard, under Captain Hardcastle, moved forward, covered by the fire of the main body. Their progress was necessarily slow, as from this point the entire path was most skilfully and cunningly prepared with "panjies" which had t) be removed.

By 5.30 p.m. the entire force had occupied th-e northern "morung," which they commenced to fortify, the wounded had now been all attended to and housed, and a good proportion of the village was burnt that night. The Naga coolies were housed in the "morung," and the British officers and sepoys laid out all night round the hastily-constructed perimeter. A disturbed night was spent, and practically none of the fighting force had any rest.

The next day was occupied in searching for water, which had now run short, strengthening the perimeter, and burning the rest of the village and "dhan" houses, Three watering parties were aent out, and at last a small quantity of water was obtained, which had to be doled out with great care by the medical officer. The enemy were encountered by the watering parties, and some of them were killed.

The night of the 6th was a more peaceful one, and was welcomed by all, as the officers and men had been continuously on duty for forty hours on end, with a very limited supply of water. Owing to the scarcity of water and the utter unreliability of the coolies, it was decided to return to Chingphoi with the whole force the next morning. No further opposition was encountered en route, and the few remaining "dhan" houses were burnt by the rearguard, The "morung" was not burnt on departure in order that the enemy might conclude that the position was still held, and a possible attack on the rearguard thus obviated, which, in the panic-stricken condition of fche coolies, would have inevitably led to a wholesale stampede. It is difficult to estimate the actual losses of the enemy, but their casualties were probably between forty and fifty killed and wounded. The weapons used by them were guns : spears, "daos," bows and arrows and in their "rushing tactics," they appeared to work "in pairs," the one to cut off the head and the other to bolt with it. If one of them was hit the was ready to drag him off into the jungle.

The total British casualties were— Killed, four sepoys, nine coolies; seriously wounded, three aepoys, six ccolies; slightly wounded, 23; total, 45.