ENGLISHMAN CUT DOWN BY SAVAGES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3259, 3 July 1911, Page 3

ENGLISHMAN CUT DOWN BY SAVAGES.

A TALE OF TREACHERY

There is confirmation of the report that Mr Noel V illiamson, Assistant Political Officer at Sadiya, Lackhimpur, and his party were murdered on the Assam border by Abor savages. Two Nepalese coolies who escaped brought the news of the death of all the other members of the party to Dibrugarh, and Mr Harrison, the manager of the local sawmills, at once went up the Diliong in a steam launch to search for possible survivors. The two Nepalese coolies, who are believed to be the sole survivors of Mr Noel Williamson’s camp was port that Mr Williamson’s camp was attacked "by Abor savages numbering 1200. The two coolies were pursued for throe days. The police are awaiting other possible survivors at Pasighat.

PROBABLE CAUSE OF TRAGEDY. In explanation of the circumstances which led tip to the tragedy, it may be mentioned that a year ago a number of hill Abors entered the territory of the Mires, and settled on the Sibya Muk frontier line. The Miris frequently complained of the turbulent behaviour of the Abors, who insisted that the forests were theirs, and stopped woodcutting in February last. Mr Williamson ordered the Abors back to the lulls, and the attack upon his party is probably the resuit of this step. More Abors are coming down from the hills to assist their friends. The section of the Brahmaputra, where the river bends southwards from Tibet to enter Assam, and so to the Ganges, is virgin ground so far as the white man is concerned, and the tribesmen, who are practically independent, are fiercely jealous of the intrusion of strangers. The country consists of dense forests, and is almost inaccessible. A SURVIVOR’S STORY. A special message to the Calcutta “Englishman” contains the following narrative of a Nepalese survivor of the Assam frontier outrageWe left Pasigliat, and marched four days along the right bank of the Diliong river into the Pasimiyong country. We. crossed the Diliong on bamboo rafts to the left bank. Dr Gregorson was here left behind, with an interpreter, a sick coolie, a sick attendant, and his personal servant. We marched another day, and then, leaving the river on our left, halted for the night near a stream. At this place we met forty' 1 or fifty' Abors, who brought presents from the village of Ru. The Abors remained in camp all night, and left next morning (Friday). Riu was reached at ten o’clock. All the coolies, at the sahib’s request, remained in a house placed at their disposal of tlie mission by the Abors, with their loads, in order to prevent pilfering which had been' taking place all along the route.

TREACHERY. “Mr Williamson camped twenty yards away. At noon the A hors assembled with spears, daos, hows and arrows. There were about one' thousand of them. They uttered a war call, and suddenly poured into the house and attacked us with spears and dace. I cut down three, but after seeing five of my comrades cut down I escaped to the back of the house. There I dropped two elephants’ height to the ground, and ran to the jungle, where I joined Mr Williamson's orderly. There were no signs of the sahib. I heard only one shot 300 yards from the village. The orderly and I separated shortly afterwards, and I never saw him again. Half an,hour afterwards I met two comrades. Keeping to the jungle, and avoiding paths. picketed by the .Abors, we reached Dr Gregorson’s camp the same evening. We saw a fire, and crawled up close to it, but saw only Abors. We then continued along the left bank of the river to a point below the village of Kebang. We crossed the Dihong in a boat, which overturned, but we, managed to hang on to it all night. In two days we came to a friendly Abor village, where the inhabitants .fed ns and gave up beds. Next day we. were put on Mr Harrison’s steamer.”