232 SECOND JOURNEY TO THE 



from the want of the power to punish them. 

 We had not gone above a quarter of a mile 

 from Pillage Point before the boats again 

 took the ground at the distance of one hun- 

 dred and fifty yards from the shore ; and 

 having ascertained, by the men wading in 

 every direction, that there was no deeper 

 water, we made the boats fast side by side, 

 and remained in that situation five hours. 



Shortly after the boats had been secured, 

 seven or eight of the natives walked along 

 the beach, and carrying on a conversation 

 with Augustus, invited him to a conference 

 on shore. I was at first very unwilling to 

 permit him to go ; but the brave little fellow 

 entreated so earnestly that I would suffer 

 him to land and reprove the Esquimaux for 

 their conduct, that I at length consented, 

 and the more readily, on seeing that the 

 young chief who had acted in so friendly a 

 manner was amongst the number on the 

 beach. By the time that Augustus reached 

 the shore, the number of Esquimaux 

 amounted to forty, and we watched with 

 great anxiety the animated conversation he 



