PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
557 
their baidar sidewise toward the land, Mr. Belcher fired a ball between CHAP, 
them and the shore, and waved them to begone. Instead of obeying 
his summons, they paddled on shore instantly, and quitted their baidar Sept. 
for a small eminence near the beach, from whence they discharged a 
flight of arrows, which wounded two of our seamen. Their attack was 
of course returned, and one of the party was wounded in the leg by a 
musket ball. 
Until this time they were ignorant of the effect of firearms, and 
no doubt placed much confidence in the thickness of their clothing, as, 
in addition to their eider-duck dress over their usual frock, they each 
bound a deer-skin round them as they quitted their baidar ; but seeing 
the furs availed nothing against a ball, they fled with precipitation to 
tlie hills; and the commanding officer of the Blossom observing them 
running towards the place where I was engaged with the dipping 
needle, fired a gun from the ship, which first apprised me of any thing 
being amiss. On the ari ival of the cutter, I joined Mr. Belcher, and, 
with a view of getting the natives into our possession, I sent a boat 
along the beach, and went with a party over land. We had not pro- 
ceeded far, when suddenly four of the marines were wounded with 
arrows from a small ravine, in which we found a party so screened by 
long grass that it w^as not visible until we were close upon it. The na- 
tives were lying upon the ground, peeping between the blades of grass, 
and discharging their arrows as opportunity offered. In return, one of 
them suffered by a ball from Mr. Elson ; on which I stopped the firing, 
and endeavoured ineffectually to bring them to terms. After a con- 
siderable time, an elderly man came forward with his arms and breast 
covered with mud, motioning us to begone, and decidedly rejecting all 
offers of reconciliation. Unwilling to chastise them further, I with- 
drew the party, and towed their baidar on board, which kept them 
prisoners upon the island. 1 did this in order to have an opportunity 
of bringing about a reconciliation, for I was unwilling to allow them to 
depart with sentiments which might prove injurious to any Europeans 
who might succeed us ; and I thought that by detaining them we should 
be able to convince them our resentment was unjustifiably provoked, 
and that wdien they conducted themselves properly, they should com- 
mand our friendship. This baidar had a large incision in her bottom, 
