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Yet these two sects show distinctly their religious-cultural differences}

When coming unexpectedly upon Hindu women or little girly they
flee in obvious terror for their farm yard dropping whatever precious load
they may hold, on the way. Yet the men and smell beys have no such fear
and stand aside to watch the white stranger, answering his questions most
agreeably when they are approached. After his women see the friendly ges-
ture, their attitude undergoes es most remarkable change, and their hespi-
tality and dighity is as natural and spontaneous as might be found in any
civilized society. Withinithhe courtyard of the home, the males respect
and look to the women of the family for the entertaining of their strange
guests. The women do this generoubly showing the visitor their limited
possessions with great pride. In these small bashas one usually finds
a few rush or grass sleeping mats on the flopr, and at best acrude rope
bottomed bedstead sans mattress of any sosb. Only the head of the family
sleeps on the bed, the rest of the family sleeping on the floor. Near one
wall is a shallow fire pit for cooking, and outside of a few brass bowls,
and earthen water jugs for cooking and storage, there is little else. The
people use large fresh leaves from nearby trees for plates for their focd,
eating 1¢ with their fingers. There are no smoke vents in the roof, the
smoke being permitted to find its way out between wall and thatched roof.
This perhaps helps in heating the basha at nicht during the winter seasone
There is one manifestation of a hbgher civilization common to all these
homes, however. There are at least two or three highly colored cheap prints
of their favorite family gods, usuelly one of Vishm, Shiva, or Brahma, and
the others of the various lesser gods of the harvest, prosperity, fertility,
and the like. When inquiring of the nature of these gods one is impresseé
with the extreme awe and respect of the entire family for their terrible
powers After the harvest , the grain is stored in the basha, and the pic-
ture of one of the gods is hung near it to protect it from evil spirits.

The women, end usually one of the older women specifically, are
the dhrecting force in the family life. The suggestions and diréctions
made by them are accepted by the male members of the family without question.
It is noticable that the rural women appear to have more individuality and
personality than the average woman met in the more civilized districts.
This may be due to a somewhat éb¥fewsndifference in the customs of the up-
bringing of small girlse The girls and boys are found playing together at
some distance from their homes in wholesome companionship, not onlg with
their own religious group, but with Muslim children of the same age! Perhaps
this is merely a local condition of Upper Assam, but it has had its affect
on the developement of the women. Their extreme fear of white strangers
outside their homes is in ludicrous contrast. Perhaps the near enslavement
of the members of their families wo have gone to the nearby British tea
plantations to work for the fantastic sum of two dollags a month has had
something to do with it. The appalling filth and poverty of the quarters
efsthose unfortunate coolies, coupled with a pecullar disease that tea work-
ers succumb to, makes the coolie farner anpear frees and wealthy in compari-
song

The general Hindu religious marriage customs are carried out in
Assam, but are natumally limited by the general poverty, and slight differ-
ences in childhood social customs. The ceremony takes place at the home of
the bride's father, the groom arriving and officially meeting his bride
for the first time at the ceremony. In the case of the child-bride and
older groom, she stays with her parents until puberty, but in the case of
the child-bride and child-groom, the children are permitted to play together
thus growing up together and occasioning greater opportunifg for early