374 
LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
him, amongst the infinite number of human bipeds, that crawl 
upon the earth, to be the victim of their licentious and thievish 
propensities. 
Whatever faults or national follies may be imputed to the 
sons of Caledonia, there is no one, who has lived amongst them, 
or who has been entangled in any transactions with them, but 
will give them credit for a display of caution, which renders it 
the eighth wonder of the world, that a Scotchman was ever 
cheated in his life ; at all events, it must be admitted that that 
man deserves the character of a skilful tactitian, and a direct 
clever rogue, who ever succeeded in accomplishing that object; 
nevertheless, with that laudable disposition, that we have so fre¬ 
quently and strikingly displayed of putting the most favorable 
construction on the actions of the Commander of the Victory, 
we cannot in this instance withhold from him the merit of our 
approbation for the extreme caution, which he displayed in his 
conduct towards the suspicious Esquimaux, for he only followed 
the salutary maxim of that keen observer of human character, 
Rochefoucauld, who says, Que c’est mieux d'etre detrompe par 
nos amis, que trompe', which may be anglicised, that it is 
better to be undeceived by the Esquimaux, than to be deceived 
by them. 
It must not however be supposed—but, it is impossible to 
say to what length the imagination of some persons may carry 
them—that the Victory was put in a state of siege ; that the 
g'uns were shotted, grape and canister ; that double watches 
were put upon the gangways, and that the armourer’s forge 
blazed throughout the night in preparing the weapons of defence 
against the attack, that was anticipated; however a council 
was summoned to meet in the cabin of the Victory, to take 
into consideration, the danger to which the lives and property 
of the crew were exposed, and to deliberate upon the most 
prompt and efficacious means, that could be adopted, to avert 
the ruin, which impended oyer them. It was the opinion of 
Capt. Ross, being first called upon to state his sentiments on 
the subject, that if the Victory could be removed , to some 
