“The Esquimaux Pillaging the Boats” (July 7, 1826) [drawn by George Back]

A numerous party then drawing their knives, and stripping themselves to the waist, ran to the Reliance, and having first hauled her up a far as they could, began a regular pillage, handing the articles to the women, who, ranged in a row behind, quickly conveyed them out of sight. Lieutenant Back and his crew strenuously, but good-humouredly, resisted the attack, and rescued many things from their grasp, but they were overpowered by numbers . . . It was now about eight o'clock in the evening, and we had been engaged in this harassing contest for several hours, yet the only things of importance which they had carried off were the mess canteen and kettles, a tent, a bale containing blankets and shoes, one of the men's bags, and the jib-sails. The other articles they took could well be spared, and they would, in fact, have been distributed amongst them, had they remained quiet. The place to which the boats were dragged is designated by the name of Pillage Point. I cannot sufficiently praise the fortitude and obedience of both boats' crews in abstaining from the use of their arms. [Franklin, in his Narrative of a Second Expedition, pp. 104, 107.]