CHAPTER XX. 
LAWS— GOVERNMENT. 
It may be said that they have laws ; they 
have no written laws, however, but rules 
and regulations handed down by tradition 
from one generation to another. 
There are first, what may be termed gene- 
ral laws, which extend to people of differ- 
ent towns. The headmen of a certain region 
of country, embracing a number of towns, 
more or less, meet together and agree upon 
a certain code of laws by which to regulate 
their people, in their intercourse with each 
other in trade and commerce. All the peo- 
ple ol the district represented are required 
to keep those laws, and if the headman or 
the people of any town violate them, those 
of the other towns have just cause for 
palaver with the offending party, and as a 
general thing they require so much produce, 
or goods as an indemnity, a to cool their 
hearts," as they say. 
If the offending town refuses to pay, or 
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