SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA. 239 



the mention, in this place, of some commu- 

 nications made to us in the month of August 

 following, which fully explained the motives 

 of their conduct. We learned that, up to 

 the time that the kaiyack was upset, the 

 Esquimaux were actuated by the most 

 friendly feelings towards us, but that the 

 fellow whom we had treated so kindly after 

 the accident, discovering what the boats 

 contained, proposed to the younger men to 

 pillage them. This suggestion was buzzed 

 about, and led to the conference which the 

 old men held together when I desired them 

 to go away, in which the robbery was de- 

 cided upon, and a pretty general wish was 

 expressed that it should be attended with 

 the total massacre of our party. Providen- 

 tially a few suggested the impropriety of 

 including Augustus ; and for a reason which 

 could scarcely have been imagined. 4 If 

 we kill him,' said they, * no more white 

 people will visit our lands, and we shall 

 lose the opportunity of getting another 

 supply of their valuable goods; but if we 

 spare him, he can be sent back with a story 



