But such a violent and unexpected murder, and to come in such a very uncivilized manner! According to what the other men told me, there was absolutely no provocation or intimidation -- they simply told the assembly to disperse, and one of them that had been in jail yesterday simply started hacking him to pieces with a machete. The other men were understandably shaken, and I cannot say I blame them. We must all thank God that they were able to escape with their lives, though it does seems that only this one individual displayed such extreme rage.

Still, I do not relish my duty now. Like Daniel walking right into the lion's den -- except he had a king who threw him in, and I have only the weight of history and the advancement of proper civilization pushing me forward. And the lions Daniel faced were never so dangerous, nor so duplicitous, as these people have proven to be. I must bear myself with the confidence of our rightful Empire.

When I first arrived at the village, they seemed to be attempting to evade justice for their violent act against my man. I admit, I lost my cool somewhat in threatening to imprison the men I found there, though this would have been the only reasonable course of action in any civilized country. Obstructing the effective investigation and prosecution of a clear-cut case of unprovoked murder -- it is no wonder these people live in such conditions; they have absolutely no sense of moral rectitude or civil and social obedience, but only a collective superstition.

Then there is their roundabout way of talking. As longs as I live here, I shall never get used to the way it is impossible to get a straight answer from these people. They always act as if it is they who are doing you the favor, too, and not the other way around. As if revealing the location of a murderer were not something they had a duty, under a universal and unequivocal moral code, to do.

Then there is the wheedling, always trying to get something. I agreed, of course, in the...

I suppose it showed some sense of remorse on the murderer's part; a sensibility I had not come to expect from these people. Perhaps our influence is beginning its work, however gradually. Though tragic, this incident could perhaps be a foothold from which many other learning experiences may extend -- a sort of modern day parable in the wilderness. We are all missionaries in this country.
I could not believe the audacity of the one man blaming me for the death of his friend. This man, who had senselessly and needlessly killed one of my own defenseless men, then hung himself for the guilt of it, was being placed in my responsibility. This intriguing bit of especially extreme ingratitude and denial of responsibility demands further inquiry. I must remember to go back to that village and speak to that man again. Or perhaps I should have him brought here.

Either way, this will certainly make an interesting -- though brief -- portion of my study and explanation of the gradual pacification and civilization of these people. This will, I hope, provide some small consolation to the family of the man slain. His death shall not be in vain if our cause here is still advanced. If this incident can in any way be used to further the education and salvation of this population of savage heathens, it will form a fitting tribute to this victim.

A must make more notes on the circumstances surrounding the handling of the body after his suicide. Apparently this act is universally distasteful; it almost surprises me that these people have any conception of it at all, their deaths are usually so violent and unnatural anyway. Understanding these people will likely take years of further research, but the process becomes easier the more manageable these people become. We may thank God for the patience civilization brings.