The first major violent incident between newts and humans began when the crew of the boat Montrose went hunting for newts on the Cocos, or Keeling, Islands. The narrator explains how incidents between pirates caused guns to be outlawed on newt-hunting boats. The crew use clubs and oars in an attempt to capture newts. The newts fire shark-guns and drown most of the crew.

Captain James Lindley, hearing the shots fired, investigates. He fires a gun they hid on the ship until this moment. Many newts are harmed, but one throws an explosive on the ship. It explodes and kills more sailors. After a few weeks pass, another ship, the HMS Fireball, goes to the Cocos Islands and massacres thousands of newts. Around the same time, ships from other nations attack islands of newts.

Other violent incidents occurred in France. In Normandy, the employers of newts refused to give them apples, and so the newts began to steal apples from orchards. The farmers responded with armed raids against the newts. When the police tried to intervene, the farmers also shot at them.

Meanwhile, in Coutance, some boys attack a newt. The newt detonates an explosive which kills him and three boys, as well as injuring other boys.