Although The Latookas Were Far Better Than Other Tribes That I Had Met,
They Were Sufficiently Annoying; They Gave Me No Credit For Real Good
Will, But They Attributed My Forbearance To Weakness.
On one occasion
Adda, one of the chiefs, came to ask me to join him in attacking a
village
To procure molotes (iron hoes); he said, "Come along with me,
bring your men and guns, and we will attack a village near here, and
take their molotes and cattle; you keep the cattle, and I will have the
molotes." I asked him whether the village was in an enemy's country. "Oh
no!" he replied, "it is close here; but the people are rather
rebellious, and it will do them good to kill a few, and to take their
molotes. If you are afraid, never mind, I will ask the Turks to do it."
Thus forbearance on my part was supposed to be caused from weakness, and
it was difficult to persuade them that it originated in a feeling of
justice. This Adda most coolly proposed that we should plunder one of
his own villages that was rather too "liberal" in its views. Nothing is
more heartbreaking than to be so thoroughly misunderstood, and the
obtuseness of the savages was such, that I never could make them
understand the existence of good principle; - their one idea was
"power," - force that could obtain all - the strong hand that could wrest
from the weak. In disgust I frequently noted the feelings of the moment
in my journal - a memorandum from which I copy as illustrative of the
time.
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