families, embroil clan with clan in the same or in separate villages, in the 
last case at length plunging the two villages into hostilities. During sl. 
civil feud the women of the rival parties may communicate freely while 
the men are taking every opportunity of attacking or surprising their 
opponents. But in feuds between villages the most dastardly deeds are 
done ; the murder of a woman in a field, of a boy herding cattle, of a girl 
bathing at a spring, counts as much to the warrior’s credit as the conquest 
of a worthy foe. During such feuds regular expeditions are organized; 
The warriors assemble in arms, and with food for several days, consult 
the omens, and set off. Where resistance is expected a careful and stealthy 
approach is made, and a surprise attack, if possible, delivered just before 
day break, when the enemy are most likely to be off their guard. If the 
village attacked be weak, as is usual when mere plunder is the object, it is 
entered by day. Though weak villages were formerly exposed to attacks 
from every more powerful neighbour, yet it was only in the last extremity 
that the site was abandoned for a safer. Sometimes a number of warriors 
may enter a village as friends and fall on its inhabitants, when overcome 
after the feast with which they have entertained their guests. In any case 
they rush through the village, firing the houses and spearing the people as 
they escape from the flames. Little blood is shed really; every one who 
plunges his spear into a body while life remains may count the victim’s 
head to his score, so that the pursuit of an enemy in the jungle is less 
attractive than the plunder of his village. Usually only those who fall in 
the first rush are killed, their heads, hands, and feet are carried off as 
trophies ; unwounded prisoners who do not resist are taken away with the 
rest of the plunder as slaves ; if they resist their heads are at once taken. 
On the return of the expedition the heads are on view during five days, 
after which they are buried and a feast is held. The ransom of heads 
and captives is a point of honour among the Angamis i). The Nagas 
of the Eastern Bareil on the other hand store the heads of victims in a 
village dead-house set apart for the purpose. Among them heads 
can only be recovered by a successful counter attack 2). Another 
custom to which the Angami are less prone than their eastern 
neighbours is that of waylaying an inoffensive traveller for the 
1 ) Butler; loc. cit. p. 156. All this is now, fortunately, to be spoken of m the 
>) Peal: in “Papers relating to Hill Tracts bet. Assam & Burmah (1873) p. 325 - 
