In this chapter Verrier Elwin draws our attention to
the hill people of Assam whom he had studied during his stay of about four months in the state. He found beauty in hill areas and their people. Through his writing he focuses on what he saw and implores everyone to preserve the traditional and the natural heritage. Elwin praises the friendliness and hospitality of all the people of Assam, and especially of the hill folk. He then discusses about the Kaziranga National Park and expresses his excitement on coming across a dozen of rhinos within a brief period of two hours of his visit, in contrast to the parks of East Africa. However, he says that East African parks were well maintained because of the cooperation of the people and also poaching was unheard there, unlike the parks of Assam where no animal was safe. He appeals to everybody to do something to protect wildlife in these parks. Elwin then comes to the main issue of his interest -- the hill people of Assam. He rues the absence of a museum to record and display the art of these people. He put forward an example to reflect this aspect -- a death chant sung by the kabuls ( Naga tribe) which is very enchanting, but which is not recorded and will be lost in oblivion in the years to come. He also says that the immense treasure of folk tales will also disappear, unless they are written and stored for the future generations. This loss is due to the present youths' preference for western music.
Elwin then says about the beauty present in other
arts of the hill people, such as in wood carvings, in colour schemes of woven materials, in items of personal decoration, etc. He says that it is remarkable how the tribal people have a natural sense of colour, tone and balance to produce harmony in all they do. He stresses on the need to preserve the natural good taste of the hill people and not let it disappear with the day - by - day progressing world. He implores the tribes of hills not to be ashamed of their culture and not to let it disappear, and also tells all the people of Assam to appreciate the simplicity and natural beauty of their villages, to preserve this treasure which if once lost can never be recovered.