several hours, yet the only things of
importance which they had carried off were the mess canteen and kettles,
a tent, a bale containing blankets and shoes, one of the men's bags, and
the jib-sails. The other articles they took could well be spared, and
they would, in fact, have been distributed amongst them, had they
remained quiet. The place to which the boats were dragged is designated
by the name of Pillage Point. I cannot sufficiently praise the fortitude
and obedience of both the boats' crews in abstaining from the use of
their arms. In the first instance I had been influenced by the desire of
preventing unnecessary bloodshed, and afterwards, when the critical
situation of my party might have well warranted me in employing more
decided means for their defence, I still endeavoured to temporize, being
convinced that as long as the boats lay aground, and we were beset by
such numbers, armed with long knives, bows, arrows, and spears, we could
not use fire-arms to advantage. The howling of the women, and the
clamour of the men, proved the high excitement to which they had wrought
themselves; and I am still of opinion that, mingled as we were with
them, the first blood we had shed would have been instantly revenged by
the sacrifice of all our lives.

The preceding narrative shows that, bad as the general conduct of the
Esquimaux was, we had some active friends amongst them; and I was
particularly desirous of cultivating a good understanding with them, for
we were as yet ignorant of the state of the ice at sea, and did not know
how long we should have to remain in their neighbourhood. I was
determined, however, now to keep them at bay, and to convince them, if
they made any further attempts to annoy us, that our forbearance had
proceeded from good-will, and not from the want of power to punish them.
We had not gone above a quarter of a mile from Pillage Point before the
boats again took the ground at the distance of one hundred and fifty
yards from the shore; and having ascertained by the men wading in every
direction, that there was no deeper water, we made the boats fast side
by side, and remained in that situation five hours.

Shortly after the boats had been secured, seven or eight of the natives
walked along the beach, and carrying on a conversation with Augustus,
invited him to a conference on shore. I was at first very unwilling to
permit him to go, but the brave little fellow entreated so earnestly
that I woul