Departure from these rules was punished by being plunged in the Great Swamp to wash away the guilt. The sinner was kept under as long as the celebrant deemed fit; and if he survived he was said to be reconciled to Shoozoo, and if not he was deemed incapable of purification and deservedly dead. There were other penalties for small offenders. Most of the offences among the Lali were religious violations, and the punishment was in the hands of the priests, which had much to do with the preservation of the unity of religion. Sin was recognized before wrong, nonconformity before crime, and ecclesiastical penalties before civil. Frequent attempts were made to throw off the tyranny of the priesthood, but the leaders of the revolt were quickly apprehended, and usually put to death with great tortures. Heresies were not infrequent among the Apes, who soon learned, however, that it was not policy to make them known. In general there was a remarkable unanimity among them—a greater degree than has since been known in religious affairs. Among the maxims of the Lali, which were also current among the Ammi, (for, notwithstanding their religious differences, their morality was substantially the same), were the following: Keep your snout in your own cocoanut. Never bite off an ear in sport. Stick to the tree you are climbing. Don’t fight over what you don’t want. Save what you can’t eat, remembering that you must eat again. Don’t crack your cocoanuts on each other’s heads. Half the time spent in washing that you spend in scratching would keep you more comfortable. Don’t man the Ammi, (which among the Ammi reads, “Don’t ape the Lali.”) Get up a tree rather than dispute the ground with a tiger. If you don’t pick your neighbor’s fleas you will be bit by your own fleas. After this digression on the religion and morality of the Lali, we will return to the affairs of the Ammi. CHAPTER XXII. [Illustration] Having repaired the damage of the earthquake and flood, the Ammi set out on their march to the country of the Lali, having, first, however, armed themselves with the light weapons and provisions already mentioned. The expedition was led by Koree, who labored hard to remove every obstacle, and he set an example of endurance, as well as infused courage in the irresolute. “We start out for Sosee and glory,” he said. “The time will come when we will delight to recall the difficulties which now trouble us.” They marched more around the Swamp than through it, keeping, however, near its borders. This was a longer route, but fraught with less danger and difficulty. At night they retired to the Swamp, lest they should be surprised by the Lali, and when they became hungry they scattered to collect food, of which there was great abundance. The earthquake shock and the floods had shaken the fruits and nuts from the trees, where they could now readily be gathered.