FromwhatIhadheardIconsideredthatRiongamustbeaveryfinefellow，andmuchsuperiortoeitherKamrasiorhisson。
InmyformerjourneyIhadaccomplishedalonganddifficultexplorationwithoutfiringashotatahumanbeing；andIhadstudiouslyavoidedmeddlinginnativepolitics，whichiscertaintoinvolveatravellerindifficulty。IthadalwaysbeenasourceofgreatsatisfactionwhenI
lookedbacktomypastadventures，andreflectedthatIhadneverpulledatriggeratanative；thusthearrivalofawhitemaninthesecountrieswouldberegardedwithoutsuspicion。
InmypresentexpeditionIhadalwaysendeavouredtopreservepeace，but，asthisworkwillshow，Iwasineveryinstanceforcedtowarinabsoluteself-defence。IwasthereforedeterminednottoattackRionga，unlessheshouldpresumetodefythegovernment。
InreplytoKabbaRegaandhischiefs，whoallhadjoinedintheargument，IdeclaredthatIwouldfindmeanstoestablishpeace，andthatRiongawouldassuredlycometoterms。Nothingwouldinducemetouseforceagainsthimoranyotherperson，unlessabsolutelynecessary。