OP THE POLAR SEA. 343 



opinion that there was no safety for us except in 

 his death, and he offered to be the instrument of 

 it. I determined, however, as I was thoroughly 

 convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, 

 to take the whole responsibility upon myself; 

 and immediately upon Michel's coming up, I put 

 an end to his life by shooting him through the 

 head with a pistol. Had my own life alone been 

 threatened, I would not have purchased it by 

 such a measure ; but I considered myself as in- 

 trusted also with the protection of Hepburn's, a 

 man, who, by his humane attentions and devoted- 

 ness, had so endeared himself to me, that I felt 

 more anxiety for his safety than for my own. 

 Michel had gathered no tripe de roche, and it was 

 evident to us that he had halted for the purpose 

 of putting his gun in order, with the intention of 

 attacking us, perhaps, whilst we were in the act 

 of encamping. 



I have dwelt in the preceding part of the 

 narrative up on many circumstances of Michel's 

 conduct, not for the purpose of aggravating his 

 crime, but to put the reader in possession of the 

 reasons that influenced me in depriving a fellow- 

 creature of life. Up to the period of his return 

 to the tent, his conduct had been good and re- 

 spectful to the officers, and in a conversation be- 

 tween Captain Franklin, Mr. Hood, and myself. 



