The former, however, is based upon the account of victories by the Ephraimite Joshua over confederations of petty kings to the south and north of central Palestine, apparently the specific traditions of the people of Ephraim describing from their standpoint the entire conquest of Palestine.
Each tribe was politically independent; they formed no confederations.
They are divided into two confederations, the Uli-luna and the Uli-sawa, which are hostile to each other.
The particularistic sentiment was still very strong, however, and in 1651 the union split into two confederations, one including the mainland towns, Providence and Warwick; the other, the island towns, Portsmouth and Newport.
These two confederations have an interest quite out of proportion to the significance of the detailed events which form their history.
