INDIAN MASSACRE. 371 



that no evil was intended. He had not reached his 

 companions when he heard a shot, succeeded immedi- 

 ately by others, and before he could return to the 

 spot he had so lately left " the place was all one 

 smoke," and four of the poor deceived Esquimaux lay 

 stretched upon the sand ; the other two ran to their 

 canoes and escaped before the second volley was fired, 

 though both were wounded by the first discharge. 

 The Loucheux now fired arrows into those who 

 remained ; one of these had got into the water after 

 being wounded, and now strove to shelter himself 

 behind a piece of drift wood, diving under it as the 

 arrows flew at him ; this poor fellow they finished with 

 their guns and he sank, but the others they gashed 

 and mutilated, cutting the sinews under the arms and 

 laying those hmbs over their heads. When, shortly 

 afterwards, the party of Whites and Indians reached 

 Fort MTherson, and the account of this most 

 dastardly massacre was related to the Indians who 

 were about the establishment, they sided with M'Kay 

 in condemning the perpetrators, who on theii' part 

 now expressed regret that they had not taken M'Kay's 

 advice, which, said they, they would have done but 

 that they were " pushed on by Manuel," who was said 

 to have confessed having fired with the Lo.ucheux, but 

 denied that his shot had done any execution. 



B B 2 



