Chapter 9
Memoirs of a Chota Sahib
John Rowntree
THINK AS YOU READ – I
1. Briefly describe the scene observed by the author from the veranda of his bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra.
Answer: From the veranda of his bungalow, the author had a splendid view of the mighty Brahmaputra, the boats sailing on it and the Himalayas in the distance. In the foreground stood Peacock Island, where the dome of a Hindu temple was partly visible through the trees.
2. What is the belief about the dividing channel between Peacock Island and the mainland of Guwahati that the author mentions?
Answer: It was believed that if the narrow channel separating Peacock Island from the mainland ever dried up completely, it would mark the end of British rule in India.
3. What does the author say about the importance of Guwahati? Is the statement true in our time today also?
Answer: The author describes Guwahati as the port of entry into Assam. Most travellers passed through it while travelling between Calcutta and Shillong or proceeding to districts farther up the Brahmaputra Valley.
Yes, the statement is true even today. Guwahati is still the principal gateway to Assam and the other North-Eastern states. It is an important centre of transport, trade, education and tourism.
THINK AS YOU READ – II
1. What character of the North Bank of the Brahmaputra does the author refer to?
Answer: The North Bank had a distinctive character of its own. It was a vast, remote and flat stretch of ancient land lying between the sandbanks of the Brahmaputra and the Himalayan foothills. Its rivers either dried up during the hot season or suddenly disappeared underground. The area contained numerous bheels rich in wildfowl and other wildlife. It was delightful in winter but became a hotbed of malaria during the rainy season.
2. What information does the author give us about Manas Wildlife Sanctuary?
Answer: The Manas Wildlife Sanctuary bordered the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and was home to a few rhinoceroses. Its rivers were full of mahseer, a freshwater fish, and their banks were favourite sites for the Governor’s Christmas camps. The sanctuary was also the habitat of the Assam cheetal and sloth bears. The author once saw a female sloth bear carrying her cub on her back there.
3. Describe the author’s experience of crossing a flooded river on horseback on the North Bank of the Brahmaputra.
Answer: The author once crossed a flooded river on horseback. With great difficulty, he persuaded the horse to enter the water. He then slipped over the horse’s back and held on to its tail, using it like a rudder. When he pushed the tail to the right, the horse turned left, and when he pushed it to the left, the horse turned right. In this way, both the author and the horse safely reached the opposite bank.
THINK AS YOU READ – III
1. Relate the author’s experiences of the road accident during the monsoon on the North Bank.
Answer: Once, while touring the North Bank with his family, the author was caught by the early monsoon. Although the roads were still motorable, they had become extremely slippery. As the roads were narrow and built on high embankments, driving was dangerous.
The car skidded repeatedly and finally slipped off the road into a paddy field about six feet below. Since the field was divided by several low banks, the family experienced an extremely bumpy ride before finding a way back onto the road. Fortunately, no one was injured, and not a single spring of the car was broken.
2. Relate the author’s reminiscence of the forest bungalow at Kulsi.
Answer: The forest bungalow at Kulsi was the author’s favourite. It was delightfully situated on a wooded spur above the river and was surrounded by teak plantations that had been planted about sixty years earlier. The trees had grown rapidly and were almost mature, though their timber was not as good as Burmese teak.
Close to the bungalow was a plantation of Ficus elastica, or Indian rubber trees. However, rubber tapping had stopped because Indian rubber could no longer compete commercially with ParÃĄ rubber.
THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE
1. Find out a few more examples of:
(i) Assamese words that are used in English:
Answer: Bihu, gamosa, jaapi, mekhela chador, muga, naamghar, satra, xorai and pitha.
(ii) English words used in Assamese:
Answer: āĻেāĻŦুāĻ˛ (table), āĻ¸্āĻুāĻ˛ (school), āĻāĻ˛েāĻ (college), āĻŦাāĻ (bus), āĻ্ā§°েāĻāĻ¨ (train), āĻāĻŽ্āĻĒিāĻāĻাā§° (computer), āĻŽোāĻŦাāĻāĻ˛ (mobile), āĻĄাāĻ্āĻ¤ā§° (doctor), āĻ āĻĢিāĻ (office) and āĻŦেংāĻ (bank).
2. Tick the option that best explains the meanings of the underlined words.
(a) The pug marks of the large cat were clearly traceable.
Answer: ✅ (iii) Footprints
(b) The rivers were full of mahseer.
Answer: ✅ (iv) Freshwater fish
(c) I once forded one of these rivers on horseback.
Answer: ✅ (ii) Crossed the river without using a bridge
(d) It was an eerie spot where tree skeletons still rose out of the water.
Answer: ✅ (ii) Causing a strange fear
