256 MORE TALK THAN WORK. 



battle, with fresh stores of ammunition, formed for 

 a short time an interesting and exciting spectacle. 

 After a minute or two's skirmishing, they all rushed 

 together, hand to hand, and formed a confused mob. 

 The shouting and noise was then redoubled, and 

 there was a short clatter of long poles, sticks or 

 canoe paddles, which we could see waving above 

 their heads ; and we thought some of them were 

 using their arrows as spears or daggers. Still no 

 execution seemed to be done, as we saw none of 

 them down ; and in a very brief time the poles and 

 paddles were all held erect, the women closed up, 

 and the war of deeds seemed to end in one of 

 words. At last we heard shouts of " poud, poud," 

 beginning to predominate, and they began to sepa- 

 rate, and some of them to sit down on the rocks. 

 Supposing it was all over, but not wishing to inter- 

 fere with them while this excitement lasted, we 

 returned to the ship to report the matter. Through- 

 out the affair, there appeared to us to be " more 

 talk than work/' though at first I thought it was 

 going to be a " very pretty fight." 



About an hour after I got on board, a large 

 canoe came from Keriam, containing both Mam- 

 moos and Seewai, and manv of their followers. As 

 they came up, they shouted " poud ! poud ! poud 

 Mammoos, poud Seewai ! " and both parties seemed 

 very glad it was over. Several of them were 

 slightly scarred with arrow marks, some on the 

 chest and neck ; and Mammoos had a pretty sharp 



