PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
555 
company. The place of interment was on the low point of Chamisso CHAP. 
Island, by the side of our shipmate who had been buried there the 
preceding year. Sept. 
On the 13 th we were visited by two baidars, and among their 
crews discovered the party who had visited the ship so early in the 
morning, when she was at the anchorage in August, one of whom 
drew his knife upon the first lieutenant ; they were also of the party 
which made an attack upon our cutter in Escholtz Bay the pre- 
ceding year. 'I'hey had with them a few skins and some fish for sale, 
but they were very scrupulous about what they took for them ; and 
on being ordered away late in the evening, they twanged their bows 
in an insolent manner, and only pushed off about a couple of yards. 
The officer of the watch desired them to go away, and at length 
presented a musket at them, on which they fired an arrow into the sea 
in the direction of the ship, and paddled to the island, where we observed 
them take up their quarters. 
When the boats landed the next day to fill the casks, Mr. Smyth, 
mBo had charge of the party, was desired to arm his people, and to order 
the Esquimaux off the island if they were offensive to him, or interfered 
with the duty. On landing, the natives met him on the beach, and 
were very anxious to learn whether the muskets were loaded, and to 
be allowed to feel the edges of the cutlasses, and were not at all pleased 
at having their request refused. The arms were rolled up in the sail 
for the purpose of being kept dry, but one of the natives insisted on 
having the canvas unrolled, to see what it contained, and on being re- 
fused he drew his knife, and threatened the seaman who had charge of 
it. Coupling this act with the conduct of the party on the before- 
mentioned occasions, Mr. Smyth ordered the arms to be loaded ; on 
which the natives fled to their baidar, and placed every thing in her in 
readiness to depart on a minute's warning, and then, armed with their 
bows and arrows and knives, they drew up on a small eminence and 
twanged their bow-strings, as before, in defiance. A few minutes before 
this occurred, five of the party, who had separated from their com- 
panions, attacked two of our seamen, who were at some distance from 
Mr. Smyth, digging a grave for their unfortunate shipmate, and coming 
4 B 2 
