164 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



hours, later a sail was seen whifh proved to be the Siincoe returning 

 from Niagara. She was ininiecliately chased by three of the schooners, 

 who succeeded in coming within effective range and pelted her with 

 round shot. She escaped by running over a reef into the harbour 

 whither her pursuers dared not follow. A lucky shot then pierced her 

 hull between wind and water and she sank within a few yards of shore 

 where she was easily raised. 



The gale continued to increase in violence and forced Chauncey 

 to return to port on the night of the 12th. He began at once to take 

 in guns and stores for the army on the Niagara, feeling confident that 

 he could sail to an}' part of the lake without fear of molestation. Next 

 day the Governor Tompkins came in with another prize, the merchant 

 schooner Elizabeth, and information that she had sighted the Moira 

 near the Ducks. Chauncey weighed anchor in the midst of a blinding 

 snow storm and stood away for Kingston once more in the hope of 

 intercepting her, and actually sighted her just as she was entering 

 that harbour. He was driven back to port by another gale but as soon 

 as the wind fell, sent out four of his schooners with instructions to 

 cruise off the Ducks in the track of vessels passing between Kingston 

 and York, and having repaired the Pert and armed two more schooners 

 declared his readiness to transport troops or stores to any part of the 

 lake. He professed to be perfectly satisfied with the results of his 

 cruises although they certainly fell far short of his original expect- 

 ations. Still he had inflicted considerable damage and given a great 

 scare to the garrison of Kingston.* 



Vincent became so anxious to gain information of his movements 

 that he resorted to the transparent expedient of sending over a flag 

 of truce to ask for the release of Captain Brock, paymaster of the 49th 

 and brother of the deceased General, who had been captured in one 

 of the prizes. This was granted but Brock was merely able to confirm 

 the report "previously received through several channels of the acti- 

 vity of the enemy in preparing the most formidable means of estab- 

 lishing superiority on the lakes. " 



Chauncey sailed again on November 19, apparently in the hope 

 of falling in with the Prince Regent which had been busily employed 

 for sevei'al weeks in conveying troops and stores between York and 

 Niagara. He was driven back to port by a storm which dismasted 

 the Growler. -^ 



On November 26 his new corvette, the Madison, was successfully 

 launched. He boasted with pardonable pride that this vessel had 



*Chauncey to Tompkins, Nov. 15; Chauncey to the Secretary of the Navy, 

 Nov. 17; Sheaffe to Prévost, Nov. 23. 



tChauncey to the Secretary of the Navy, Nov. 26. 



