156 
1771. 
july. 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
When the Indians had Completed the murder 
of the poor Efquimaux, feven other tents on the 
Eaft fide the river immediately engaged their at- 
tention: very luckily, however, our canoes and 
baggage had been left at a little diftance up the 
river, fo that they had no way of crofling to get 
at them. ‘The river at this part being little more 
than eighty yards wide, they began firing at them 
from the Weil fide. The poor Efquimaux on the 
oppofite fhore, though all up in arms, did not at- 
tempt to abandon their tents; and they were fo 
unacquainted with the nature of fire-arms, that 
when the bullets ftruck the ground, they ran in 
crowds to fee what was fent them, and feemed 
anxious to examine all the pieces of lead which 
they found flattened againft the rocks. At length | 
one of the Efquimaux men was fhot in the calf of 
his leg, which put them in great confufion. They 
all immediately embarked in their little canoes, 
and paddled to a fhoal in the middle of the river, 
which being fomewhat more than a gun-fhot 
from any part of the fhore, put them out of the | 
reach of our barbarians. | 
When the favages difcovered that the furviv- 
ing Efquimaux had gained the fhore above men- | 
tioned, the Northern Indians began to plunder | 
the tents of the deceafed of all the copper uten- | 
fils they could find; fuch as hatchets, bayonets, | 
knives, &c. after which they aflembled on thetop | 
of an adjacent high hili, and ftanding all ina | 
clutter, fo as to form a folid circle, with their | 
fpears | 
