LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
417 
Mc'Diarmid consented to accompany them as far as that place ; 
but his absence from the ship could not be allowed for so great 
a length of time, as the excursion of Commander Ross would 
most probably occupy. 
Early on the 27th, Commander Ross set out, but on his arrival 
at the huts, he found the Esquimaux very sulky, and little in¬ 
clined to admit them of the party; this ebullition of their tem¬ 
per was said to be occasioned by a particular misfortune, which 
had befallen them; for so great was their belief in the super¬ 
natural powers of Capt. Ross, on account of some most extraor¬ 
dinary feats, which he had performed before them, that they in 
the fulness of their credulity verily believed, that he had it in 
his power to avert from them every calamity and misfortune; 
and, that as one had now occurred to them of a serious nature, 
they ascribed the occurrence to no other person than to Capt. 
Ross, on the principle, that if an individual can prevent a cala¬ 
mity, and omits to do it, he is as responsible for the conse¬ 
quences, as if he had committed the act himself. The calamity^ 
which had given rise to such an exhibition of ill temper, on the 
part of the Esquimaux, was the fall of a little boy from a preci¬ 
pice, who, was almost killed on the spot; and as, in their opi¬ 
nion, Capt. Ross could have prevented this misfortune, if he had 
so pleased, they considered themselves entitled to vent the full 
force of their anger and indignation upon his unoffending head 
The Esquimaux, however, seemed disposed not only to exhibit 
the extent of their ill humor to Commander Ross, but they ap¬ 
peared actually inclined to proceed to more violent measures ; in 
order, however, to bring them to their senses, Confmander Ross 
and Mr. Mc’Diarmid had put their guns to their shoulders, 
when a female, of the name of Kakeakenew, stepped between 
them, and, gradually, a certain degree of harmony was estab¬ 
lished, It was, however, in some measure fortunate for all par¬ 
ties, that Mr. Mc'Diarmid had accompanied them, as he pro¬ 
ceeded immediately to examine the boy, that had fallen from 
the precipice; and although he had received some violent con¬ 
tusions, no limb was fractured. At a distance, however, from 
the medicines, which might have accelerated the cure of the 
18. 8 h 
