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Rh this was the most peaceful career." The interpreter answered: "My son, thou dost not understand this; these men only sharpen their wits." "What! thou sayest they sharpen their wits! But I see wounds, and blood, and wrath, and murderous hate of the one against the other. Not even among the class of traders have I witnessed anything similar." "No doubt," he said, "for the arts of such men are but handicrafts, and are slavish, while those of the others are free. Therefore what is not allowed and would not be permitted to them, the others have full liberty to do." "But how this can be called order," I said, "I know not." It is true that apparently their arms seemed by no means terrible. For the spears, swords, and daggers with which they hacked and stabbed one another were of leather, and they held them not in the hand but in the mouth. Their artillery consisted of reeds and quills, which they loaded with powder that had been dissolved in water, and they then threw paper bullets at each other. Nothing of this, say I, viewed superficially, appeared terrible; but when I saw that if a man was even slightly struck he was convulsed, screamed, reeled, fled, it was easy for me to understand that this was not jesting, but veritable warfare. Sometimes many pressed one hardly, till everywhere around the noise of swords dangedclanged [sic] in the ears, and paper bullets fell on him like hail. Sometimes a man, fighting bravely, defended himself and dispersed the aggressors; another, again, overcome by his wounds, fell to the ground. And