[cruikshank] from ISLE AUX NOIX TO CHATEAUGUAY 131 



intendent of officers of the Quartermaster General's Department residing 

 at Amherstburg and Kingston, where the dockyards for their care were 

 located. Recent efforts of the American Government to increase their 

 naval force on these waters had led to the construction of the Royal 

 George at Kingston and the Queen Charlo'te at Amherstburg. Both 

 these vessels were designed to carry an armament of heavy carronades 

 but it was remarked that they drew too much water to be serviceable 

 everywhere. Three other vessels, the Earl of Mo ira and Duke of Glou- 

 cester on Lake Ontario and the General Hunter on Lake Erie had been in 

 service less than ten years but had been built of green oak timber and 

 already required such extensive repairs that the construction of two 

 large schooners to replace them had been authorised. 



The dockyard at Kingston being particularly exposed to attack and 

 difficult to defend without extensive fortifications, orders had been 

 given to build the schooner Prince Regent at York and ultimately to 

 remove the dockyard to that place.* 



The number of seamen enrolled was barely sufficient to navigate 

 the vessels in commission in time of peace. 



Lieut. Colonel Pye, the Deputy Quartermaster General, had lately 

 resigned and Captain Andrew Gray of the Nova Scotia Fencibles, an able 

 and energetic young officer, was temporarily appointed to succeed him.f 



Two-thirds of the merchant vessels on Lake Ontario, numbering 

 some twenty sloops and schooners of less than one hundred tons burden 

 each, sailed under the American flag. 



The importance of fortifying Kingston and establishing a strong 

 post on the St. Lawrence, midway to Montreal, to maintain the commun- 

 ication and protect the navigation of that river above the rapids was 

 apparent. The improvement of the land route was almost equally 

 desirable and a new road was accordingly cut through the woods from 

 the Longue Sault to Coteau du Lac, shortening the distance to be 

 travelled by some miles. 



Owing to the lack of trained gunners, it was found necessary to 

 order a number of active, intelligent men from the battalion companies 

 of regular infantry in each garrison to be attached to the Royal 

 Artillery for instruction in management of both garrison and field guns. % 



Mr. Foster continued to furnish confidential information respecting 

 the probable course of future events at Washington and the state of 

 public opinion in United States generally. On June 2, he wrote that the 

 debate in congress had reached a crisis and it seemed likely that the war 



*Lt. Col. Pye to Prévost, 7th Dec, 1811 ; Captain A. Gray to Brock, 24 Feb., 1812. 

 tPrevost to Brock, 7 January, 1812. 



JPrevost to Brock, 12 March, 1812; Gray to Baynes, 29 March, 1812; G.O. 

 31 March, 1812. 



