206 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
by the square-rigged vessels to enable them to keep together. Early 
on the morning of the 9th, the British squadron returned to the mouth 
of the river and captured a small schooner under the fire of the bat- 
teries. None of the American vessels were then in sight but the whole 
squadron soon re-appeared and both lay becalmed off Four Mile Creek 
until evening. At twilight on the 10th a breeze rose and they disap- 
peared from view in the darkness, going down the lake under press 
of sail. About noon the next day off the mouth of the Genesee River 
Chauncey succeeded in approaching within effective range of his 
long guns and opened fire carefully maintaining his distance. 
“On the 11th instant, the enemy’s fleet having a partial air 
succeeded in getting within range of their 24 pdrs.’’ Yeo wrote, ‘‘and 
from their having the wind of us and the dull sailing of the Moira, 
I found it impossible to bring him to close action, and we remained in 
this mortifying situation five hours, having only six guns in all the 
squadron that would reach the enemy, (not a carronade was fired). 
When a breeze sprung up I came under these islands as the enemy 
could not keep the weather gage but be obliged to give us an opportu- 
nity of closing with him. This he most carefully avoids, and nothing I 
have been able to do as yet can induce him to come down. They 
are now to windward of the islands and I am watching any opportunity 
that may offer of bringing them to action. 
“IT cannot but consider (it) as fortunate that the squadron have 
not received any material damage, which must have been considerable, 
had the enemy acted with the least spirit and taken advantage of the 
superiority of position they possessed.””! 
He reported the loss of Midshipman Ellery and three seamen 
killed and seven seamen wounded. : 
Chauncey’s official letter naturally put a different aspect on this 
engagement. 
“Off Genesee River,” he said, ‘“‘we carried a breeze with us 
while he lay becalmed to within about 34 of a mile of him when he took 
the breeze and we had a running fight of three and a half hours, but by 
his superior sailing he escaped me and ran into Amherst Bay yesterday 
HOME EE ee peste) ee I was much disappointed that Sir James 
refused to fight me, as he was so much superior in point of force, both 
in guns and men, having upwards of twenty guns more than we have 
and heaves a greater weight of shot. I think his object is to gain time 
to add to his force and play a sure game, or as the boisterous season 
is approaching, he may wish to defer an action ‘until he meets on the 
Lake when it is blowing heavy and to leeward of him, when my small 
1 Yeo to Prevost, H.M.S. Wolfe, off the False Ducks, Sept. 14; Yeo to Warren, 
Sept. 12. 
