226 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE 



In their retreat they carried off & writing 

 desk and cloak, which the chief rescued; 

 and then, seating himself on Lieutenant 

 Back's knee, he endeavoured to persuade 

 his countrymen to desist by vociferating 

 * teyma, teyma,' and was, indeed, very active 

 in saving whatever he could from their de- 

 predations. The Lion had hitherto been 

 beset by smaller numbers, and her crew, by 

 firmly keeping their seats on the cover 

 spread over the cargo, and by beating the 

 natives off with the butt-ends of thejr mus- 

 kets, had been able to prevent any article 

 of importance from being carried away. 

 But as soon # as I perceived that the work 

 of plunder was going on so actively in the 

 Reliance, I went with Augustus to assist in 

 repressing the tumult; and our bold and 

 active little interpreter rushed among the 

 crowd on shore, and harangued them on 

 their treacherous conduct, until he was ac- 

 tually hoarse. In a short time, however, I 

 was summoned back by Duncan, who called 

 out to me that the Esquimaux had now 

 commenced in earnest to plunder the Lion ; 



