In the Arctic Regions. 423 
then saw that my crew were nearly overpowered in 
the fore part of the boat, and hastening to their aid, 
I fortunately arrived in time to prevent George Wil- 
son from discharging the contents of his musket into 
the body of an Esquimaux. He had received a pro- 
*-vocation of which I was ignorant’ until the next day, 
for the fellow had struck at him with a knife, and 
cut through his coat and waistcoat; and it was only 
after the affray was over that I learned that Gustavus 
Aird, the bowman of the Lion, and three of the Re- 
liance’s crew, had also narrowly escaped from being 
wounded, their clothes being cut by the blows made 
at them with knives. No sooner was the bow cleared 
of one set of marauders than another party commen- 
ced their operations at the stern. My gun was now 
the object of the struggle, which was beginning to as- 
sume a more serious complexion, when the whole of 
the Esquimaux suddenly fled, and hid themselves be- 
hind the drift timber and canoes on the beach. It 
appears that by the exertions of the crew, the Reliance 
was again afloat, and Lieutenant Back wisely judging 
that this was the proper moment for more active in- 
terference, directed his men to level their muskets, 
which had produced that sudden panic. The Lion 
happily floated soon after, and both were retiring from 
the beach, when the Esquimaux having recovered from 
‘their consternation, put their kaiyacks in the water, 
