FL661435

did & almost invariably succeeded in preventing
a duel or a general fight. Then of course
they have a good excuse, if the opposite
party upbraided them as cowards they would de-
declaring they would have fought had not
Gunther stopped them. I could al-
ways make sure when they were in earnest
to fight; they tried as much as possible
to hide their movements from me.
I will now try to give you a brief description
of their war proceedings or fights, & their pre-
parations. But you can easily imagine that a
very trifling affair may prove the cause. A very short
contemptuous song by one tribe against the
other, or an insulting message, or an undue
encroachment on their own territory (for the dif-
ferent tribes have certain boundaries) [word crossed out] their
fishing ground or hunting ground, more fre-
quently a dispute about some woman or women
who may have been stolen from another tribe
becomes the occasion. They usually send their
messengers [written above: who are mutually treated with respect] to & fro who may have
authority to
settle the matter in dispute amicably or to
come to some compromise. It may be after weeks
preparation the tribes meet and come to an
amicable arrangement possibly after a long
dispute with words or verbal abuse, for they
are not so prone to fight (in another engagement). Or perhaps it ends in

did & almost invariably succeeded in preventing
a duel or a general fight. Then of course
they have a good excuse, if the opposite
party [indecipherable] them as cowards they would de-
[indecipherable]. They would have fought had not
[indecipherable] stopped them. I could al-
ways make sure when they on earnest
to fight, they tried as much as possible
to hide their movements from me.

I will now try to give you a brief description
of their war proceedings or fights, & their pre-
[indecipherable]. But you can easily imagine that a
very [indecipherable] affair may prove the cause. In every short
[indecipherable] by one tribe against the
other, or an insulting menage, or an under
[indecipherable] on their own territory (for the dif-
ferent tribes have certain boundaries) their
[indecipherable] ground or hunting ground, more fre-
quently a dispute about some woman or women
who may have been stolen from another tribe
becomes the occasion. They usually send their
messengers [written above: who are mutually treated with respect] to & fro who may have something to
settle the matter in dispute amicably or to
come to some compromise. It may be after much
preparation the tribes meet and come to an
amicable arrangement possibly after a long
dispute with words or verbal abuse, for they
are not so prone to fight (in another engagement). Or perhaps it ends in