3.8 Close encounters with Outlaws

3.8      Close encounters with Outlaws

In September 1829, Scott returned to Nongkhlao from Sylhet[1]. At that time he was suffering considerably from a health complaint, and in low spirits from the loss of three of his most close friends - Lieutenants Bedingfield, Burlton, and Dr. Beadon, who had fallen to the Cassyas within the last four months.
His condition was such that he was forced to attempt sleep in a sitting posture, and often he got no sleep at all. Despite this, he had a punishing work ethic. By the first light of day, he commenced hearing petitions, and had cases read to him, and often continued at work till it was dark.

Sometimes Scott and Vetch used to ride through the country, to visit different villages, and try to bring the people to their cause or gain information of the ‘outlaws’ that might lead to their capture. At this time, the Cassyas had given up all attempts at open resistance, and had commenced attacking coolies coming with supplies, or cutting off their own countrymen who seemed too favourably disposed to the Government.

Although Scott could barely walk from the palpitation of his heart, still this was no obstacle to his undertaking long and difficult journeys. Mounted on a small, but strong and active mule, dressed in his tartan shooting jacket, with his double-barrelled gun in his hand, he climbed hills, and descended ravines, where it was astonishing that his mule kept its footing, or he his seat.

On one of these rides, when returning from Myrung, Scott and Vetch took a circuit, in the hope of obtaining some information of the ‘outlaws’, and intended to be at Nongkhlao for dinner. In a suspicious part of the road, they saw a Cassya at a distance, whom they were anxious to accost in hopes of getting some information. Vetch tried to gallop round, and hinder his escape, but he was too alert for them, and in passing through some jungle, where Scott and Vetch had lost sight of him, Vetch came upon 5 Sebundies, who were retreating from a large body of ‘outlaws’, who were far too strong for them, and pointed to Vetch some rocks, where they said the enemy were.

Vetch sent word back to Scott, and they proceeded with the party to the place, which was a jumble of rocks and ravines, covered with jungle, creepers, brambles, brush-wood, and trees. Immense masses of granite, overhanging each other, or rolled together, formed numerous caves and fissures, communicating with one another. In this place about a hundred armed ‘outlaws’ had taken shelter, well aware of the security of such a retreat.

In attacking one entrance, the party was exposed to be shot at from perhaps, half a dozen other holes in the rocks, so obscured by jungle, that it was impossible to know from which side to expect their arrows. Moreover the ground was so broken into precipices, that only one or two men could have been brought to bear on a point.

They found little could be done without a larger detachment than they had brought. The Cassyas had defied them, and commenced shooting out of their holes and were determined to keep them where they were. The idea being, that if reinforcements were sent for, the place would be surrounded. Their arrows from the holes were answered by musket balls,  the sepoys watching their opportunity to fire in. They now learned from a villager of the neighbourhood, that most of the ‘outlaws’ had provided themselves with iron shields, which they hoped to use against the musketry.

They had tried to force the only accessible entrance they could find, but it was strongly barricaded, it could only be entered one at a time. It was well defended by the Cassyas, who were able to command its mouth. At this place, standing behind a projecting piece of rock, and firing their pistols into the hole, from which arrows were flying, both Scott and Vetch, heard the balls ring on what they thought were their iron shields. The next day it proved to be the case, as they found a shield near the same entrance dented with the balls.

In passing between two rocks, Scott was on the point of stepping over a small fissure, when he heard a rustle below, and immediately drew back his head. That very instant, an arrow almost grazed his face from below, and would have lodged in his throat. In this stage of engagement, a thunder storm came on, and the heavy rain that followed, made them slacken their fire. This was immediately observed by the Cassyas, who made the rocks resound with their shouts. Assuming that the muskets would not go off, they called out to each other, and intensified their attack with arrows.

Night was fast approaching, and all they could possibly hope for was to keep the ‘outlaws’ where they were, till a stronger party should join them in the morning, when they might be able to secure the area. But they were not aware that these caves linked with some woody dales below, and during the night, while some of the Cassyas kept the sentries alert at their posts, by shouting and discharging arrows, the others were making their escape in a different direction, and carrying off their wounded.

During the night, Scott and Vetch occupied a wretched hut near the spot, wet, tired, and hungry. But a message had been despatched to Nongkhlao, and about nine o'clock, an abundance of good cheer and some champagne arrived. After sitting on the floor of the wretched hovel, where the rain was dropping on them through the roof, this lifted their spirits immediately.

Although a good deal of firing had been kept up by the sentries during the night, at day break, all was silent among the rocks. They soon  discovered the place was deserted. By scrambling on their hands and knees, they got down into the caves, but found nothing except a few dead bodies, broken pots, bows, and empty quivers, strewed about in all directions. They got about 40 of the iron shields, which evidently did not protect the owners, as one man was lying dead on his, a musket ball had passed through it into his forehead. Others that had been placed as a defence at some of the holes, were riddled with balls. Vetch doubted if they would have proved a protection against musketry at 70 or 80 yards, and a fowling piece of small bore would not have pierced them at perhaps more than half that distance.

After examining the caves, the parties went in different directions, in search of the fugitives. But the country was too woody and difficult, and as they had most likely dispersed, and disposed of their arms, there was a very slim chance that only a few of the leaders could have been recognised from among the subjects. Scott went to Nongkhlao by a different route from Vetch, and told him (afterwards), that, in passing through a jungly ravine on the way, he heard an arrow which passed his head, but could not see anyone, and as he had only three or four sepoys with him, was not able to make a search for the person who had shot at him.

They also tried to smoke out the Cassyas with stink pots, some of which they had with them. But they were badly made, and the numerous vents and fissures in the rocks, allowed all the smoke to pass upwards. Vetch suspected they came in for a greater share of it than the enemy, who did not seem to care for it, while the British were glad to shift their ground.

In the cold weather of 1830-31, Scott’s resourcefulness again came handy. At this time, the Cassyas had made very successful incursions into the Company's territory in the plains of Assam, and with the exceptions of a Jemadar and 16 men, every Sebundy soldier had been despatched to the frontier. One day the inhabitants of Gowalparah rushed to court, with a report that the Cassyas and Garrows were within 2-3 miles. Fortunately Scott recalled that a considerable party of the Rajah of Bijnie's disbanded soldiers had come from the other side of the river to complain that they had not received their arrears. He immediately sent for them, put muskets in their hands, and immediately restored confidence among the terrified townspeople.

Whilst living in the hills, it was necessary that Scott should be watchful of his safety, as the mountaineers cherished the idea, that the death of those who fell in battle could only be atoned for by taking the lives of some of their enemies. They considered it a stain on their honour, unless they could return to their native village with skulls.

At this time, tensions were rising in the Jaintia as well. In a letter dated 13 April 1830, Scott notified Ram Singh that the English considered it improper for him to establish a chokey at Chapper Mookh to levy a toll on passing boats because the southern side of the river formed the boundary of Sutnga and the northern side the boundary of the British.

In May 1830, just such an incident occurred at Nongkhlao. A party of Cassyas, apparently without arms, were admitted as friends within the stockade, and politely received by Scott. After dismissed them, they had scarcely gone a couple of hundred yards, and within sight of the sentinels, they pulled out their concealed weapons, and murdered a poor unoffending Dhobee (washerman) and severely wounded several others.

Later it was discovered that a few days previously, some of their relations had been killed by a party of Sebundies, which they were determined to revenge, and had come to the stockade with the determination of murdering Scott, if an opportunity occurred, but finding that the guards were vigilant, they were compelled to wreak their vengeance on meaner victims. After this, in transacting business, Scott always had his double-barrelled guns, and sword, within his reach. Since then, the tranquillity of the Cassya country had been often disturbed, but no general rising had taken place. Scott having succeeded in conciliating most of the Cassya chieftains.

In 1830, Scott introduced potato cultivation into the Khasi Hills and the Khasis have been so benefitted that no greater boon could have been conferred upon the people. With a view to improve the potato cultivation in the hills, the Madras Goverment in due course had produced and sent to Cherrapoonjee to the care of the Principal Assistant Commissioner, 20 maunds of the best Madras potato seeds for distribution to the Khasi cultivators at a low price, and this was subsequently improved upon.

The Agreement between the Syiem of Sohra and the Company placed the State of Sohra under the sovereign power of the Company and the voluntary cession of the portion of the territory of the State called Saisohpen, to the British, in lieu of Pandua, situated in Sylhet district made Saisohpen the base of military operations for the British.

The station of Sohra at the same time was the only place over which the Agent exercised sole jurisdiction and the British Government had the undoubted right to interfere in any way it pleased with the administration of the villages of Mawsmai, Sohbar and Mawmluh, the first and last by right of conquest and the second by Treaty.

On 19 October 1830, another written Agreement was executed between T.C. Robertson, Agent to the Governor General and Sobha Singh, Syiem of Sohra by which the Syiem of Sohra promised to give more lands to the English.

Maharam itself surrendered only in 1839. The campaigns of 1829 and 1830 were inconclusive. 1830 came to a close with no sign of the Khasis coming to terms. On 1 December 1830, David Scott wrote to the Chief Secretary, Mr Swinton: 

"I regret to state that the Cossyahs in the Nongkhlaw district still remain in a very unquiet Slate, inhabitants of the chief villages having left their houses and taken to the woods at the instigation, as they state, of Manbhot, Munsing and the other outlaws who have intimidated them into the adoption of this measure by burning their houses and putting to death some persons who wished to continue in submission to our authority".  

He felt that it would not be wise to force the villages to act against the rebels and so draw upon themselves the vengeance of the hostiles but suggested that it would be a good plan to leave the inhabitants to discover for themselves the futile attempts to relieve themselves from the consequences of their past misdeeds. He suggested the following terms:

"I considered it expedient to require of the Cossyas...that they should either defend themselves from the outlaws and give information in regard to the place of their resort, or that, if they professed to be unable to do so, they should deliver up their arms and receive into their village a small party of military for their defence. To these terms the inhabitants of some villages readily acceded while others absconded and now continue out in the woods ... Our parties, as they truly state, being unable to defend them from assassination by the outlaws on the highroad although they may protect their villages from any open attack".

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[1]Appendix No.5 Letter from Lt- Hamilton Vetch, of the Assam Light Infantry, to Col. Arch. Watson, dated Jorehaut, 9 December 1831.