210 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
where her long twenty-four pounders would be effective. Every gun 
that would bear was turned upon the Royal George. The entire 
British squadron made for the shelter of Burlington Heights where 
Yeo hoped to resume the action on more favourable terms if pursued 
closely. Considerable time was lost in picking up the schooners 
which had been cast loose but Chauncey eventually kept up the chase 
until three o’clock when his ship was within six miles of the head of 
the lake. A strong wind was then blowing from the east making a 
rough sea accompanied with every sign of a storm. 
“T considered that if I chased the enemy to his anchorage at the 
head of the lake, I should be obliged to anchor also, and although we 
might succeed in driving him ashore, the probability was that we 
might go ashore also,’’ Chauncey wrote, “he, amongst his friends, and 
we, amongst our enemies, and after the gale abated, if he could succeed 
in getting off one or two vessels out of the two fleets, it would give 
him as completely the command of the lake as if he had twenty vessels. 
Moreover, he was covered at his anchorage by part of his army and 
several small batteries thrown up for the purpose. Therefore, if 
we could have rode out the gale we would have been cut up by their 
shot from the shore. Under all these circumstances and taking 
into view the consequences resulting fromthe loss of our superiority 
on the lake at this time I, without hesitation, relinquished the oppor- 
tunity of acquiring individual reputation at the expense of my country.! 
In this running fight lasting three hours, which became known 
in the British squadron by the name of the Burlington Races, the Pike 
had received considerable damage, having her maintopgallant mast 
shot away, her fore and main masts badly wounded, rigging and sails 
much cut up. Several round shot penetrated her hull between wind 
and water and the holes could not be plugged from the outside owing 
to the high sea then running. Twenty-seven of her crew were killed 
or wounded, the majority by the bursting of a gun which tore up her 
forecastle. Several other guns cracked at the muzzle and could not 
be used without danger. The Madison received some round shot in 
her sides but had not a man hurt. The Governor Tompkins lost her 
foremast and the Oneida had her maintopmast badly wounded. 
On the other hand Yeo reported: 
“T have deeply to lament the loss of our masts, otherwise in a 
quarter of an hour we should have brought them to close action, 
but I can assure you, Sir, that the great advantage the enemy have. 
over us from their long twenty-four pounders almost precludes the 

1 Chauncey to the Secretary of the Navy, Oct. 1. 
