In the Arctic Regions. 333 
upon examining the body, I discovered that the shot 
had entered the back part of the head, and passed out 
at the forehead, and that the muzzle of the gun had , 
been applied so close as to set fire to the night-cap be- 
hind. The gun, which was of the longest kind supplied 
to the Indians, could not have been placed in a posi- 
tion to inflict such a wound, except by a second person. 
Upon inquiring of Michel how it happened, he replied, 
tbat Mr. Hood had sent him into the tent for the short 
gun, and that during his absence the long gun had 
gone off, he did not know whether by accident or not. 
. He held the short gun in his hand at the time he was 
aa 
speaking to me. Hepburn afterwards informed me, 
that previous to the report of the gun, Mr. Hood and 
Michel were speaking to each other in an elevated, 
angry tone ; that Mr. Hood being seated at the fire- 
side, was hid from him by intervening willows, but 
that on hearing the report he looked up, and saw 
Michel rising up from before the tent door, or just be- 
hind where Mr. Hood was seated, and then going into 
the tent. Thinking that the gun had been discharged 
for the purpose of cleaning it, he did not go to the fire 
at first ; and when Michel called to him that Mr. Hood 
was dead, a considerable time had elapsed. Although 
I dared not openly to evince any suspicion that I 
thought Michel guilty of the deed, yet he repeatedly 
protested that he was incapable of committing such 
