LABRADOR JOURNAL 53 



four inartens brought in. i had the cramp se- 

 verely all night. 



Thursdaij, December 6, 1770. I had a slight 

 fever, and was nnich troubled with the cramp all 

 day. Finding my head man to be a drunken, 

 worthless, fellow, I degraded him; and appointed 

 Obrien in his place. 



At night the Indian maid-servant came here, 

 and informed me, that her master had attempted 

 to kill her; and that he and his family had threat- 

 ened to murder me and all my people. Although 

 I did not give much credit to her; yet, I thought 

 it prudent to load all my fire-arms, lest there might 

 be some truth in the report; especially as my peo- 

 ple were under great apprehension of danger, 

 from the account of the Indian women. She re- 

 mained here all night. 



Attuiock, accompanied by one of his wives and 

 his brother, came here this morning after the girl; 

 and spent the day with me. Finding the affair 

 to be only a slight quarrel, I reconciled the par- 

 ties; and they all returned home in the evening, 

 apparently good friends. By the instruction I 

 received from a very imperfect A'ocabulary of the 

 Esquimaux language, which ^li'. TiUcas wrote out, 

 we were mutually enal)]ed to understand each 

 other; but it was a work of* gi"ea1 difficulty, and 

 proved very tedious, foi* we often were nuicli em- 

 Ijarrassed in our conversaf i<>ii. 



Wediics.^ Drrrmhrr 12. 1770. T wcuf down flie 

 ri\('i' .■ind \isi1('(l tlic 1r;ip^; also iTiiioxcd flint 

 which ("iiaries taih'd i'o]- a fox vestei'dav, and set 



