| caption: |
houses; stockades; inter-village warfare |
| text: |
Each house is (43) constructed with reference to its own convenience, the regularity of the village is not cared for, but no house is so far removed from the rest, as to preclude its being included in the stockade or rampart of stones which usually surrounds them as a defence either from their enemies or wild beasts. Before the subjugation of the Songboos to Munnipore, almost every village was at war with its neighbour. On their subjugation this warfare was put a stop to, but the remembrance of their feuds remains, and they would break out afresh to-morrow were the restraining hand of Munnipore withdrawn. Even now, the inhabitants of one village will not drink of the running stream even which supplies the wants of another village with which they were formerly at feud. Perhaps in either village, no one has personal knowledge of the cause of feud, but it is preserved by tradition and descends from generation to generation a heritage of hate. Amongst the Koupooees Munnipore has been able to exert so much influence as to prevent feuds being openly carried on, but a state of active feud appears to be the one natural to all the tribes from Cape Negrais as far North as we have any knowledge of. |
