PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 283 



beach, and were very anxious to learn whether the mus- chap, 

 kets were loaded, and to be allowed to feel the cdires of ». 

 the cutlasses, and were not at all pleased at having; their Sept. 

 request refused. The arms were rolled up in the sail 

 for the purpose of being kept dry, but one of the na- 

 tives insisted on having the canvas unrolled, to see 

 what it contained, and on being refused he drew his 

 knife, and threatened the seaman who had charge of 

 it. Coupling this act with the conduct of the party 

 on the before-mentioned occasions^ Mr. Smyth ordered 

 the arms to be loaded ; on which the natives fled to 

 their baidar, and placed every thing in her in readi- 

 ness to depart on a minute's warning, and then, armed 

 with their bows and arrows and knives, they drew up 

 on a small eminence, and twanged their bow-strings, 

 as before, in defiance. A few minutes before this oc- 

 curred, five of the party, who had separated from their 

 companions, attacked two of our seamen, who were at 

 some distance from Mr. Smyth, digging a grave for 

 their unfortunate shipmate, and coming suddenly upon 

 them, while in the pit, three of the party stood over 

 the workmen with their drawn knives, while the others 

 rifled the pockets of their jackets, v*hich were lying at 

 a little distance from the grave, and carried away the 

 contents, together with an axe. The hostile disposi- 

 tion of the natives on the hill, who were drawn up in 

 a line in a menacing attitude, with their bows ready 

 strung, and their knives in their left hands, obliged 

 Mr. Smyth to arm his people, and, in compliance with 

 his instructions, to proceed to drive them ofi' the island. 

 He accordingly advanced upon them, and each indivi- 

 dual probably had singled out his victim, when an aged 

 man of the Esquimaux party made ofters of peace, and 

 the arms of both parties were laid aside. The media- 



