198 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



size than the largest of those already built, and capable of mounting 

 10 six pounders, besides swivels, and also two more Row gallies, and 

 100 more good Whale Boats," and "the Council also unanimously 

 agreed that the building the Vessels proposed by his Excellency is highly 

 necessary." In a later Council at New York held on December 13, 

 1755, Shirley made known his instructions, which included the 

 erection of such a fort at Niagara "as shall for the future make his 

 Majesty's subjects masters of the Lake Ontario; and that if, for this 

 purpose, the said late General Braddock should think it necessary 

 to have ships upon the said Lake Ontario, he should concert with 

 the commander in chief of His Majesty's ships, and the governors 

 of New England and New York the manner and means of building 

 and manning such vessels, as shall be most proper for that service." 



In the same council of December 13, Shirley points out the strat- 

 egic importance of Kingston: " that whilst the French are in possession 

 of that Fort, and the harbour there, with a free passage into the lake 

 through the River Iroquois, together with their harbour at Toronto 

 on the lake, they will have it in their power to build and maintain 

 vessels of force upon the lake, which, unless his Majesty shall keep 

 up at least an equal force there, may not only greatly annoy any 

 Fort which should be erected by his Majesty's subjects at the North 

 East end of the Pass at Niagara, but endanger the loss of Oswego 

 itself to the French, which would inevitably be attended with the 

 defection of the several castles of the Indians of the Six Nations to 

 the French interest in a short time, and with the loss of the whole 

 country as far as Schenectady, and very possibly be soon followed 



with the loss of the city of Albany His Excellency then 



acquainted the council, that immediately before his departure from 

 Oswego, as well as since, he had received intelligence that the French 

 are building at least three large vessels of force in the harbour of 

 Cadaraque, which, together with those they had already built, will 

 be much superior to those built by us in the Lake, whereupon he like- 

 wise desires the opinion and advice of the council concerning his causing 

 more vessels to be built, and if a larger Force upon the Lake, than what 

 his Majesty hath there already, and how many such vessels it is 

 necessary to have built for gaining the mastery of that Lake." 



The Council, after taking these several matters into consideration, 

 gave it as their unanimous opinion, "1st. That it is most essentially 

 necessary at all events to secure the navigation of the Lake Ontario, 

 and from the intelligence the general has informed them he has already 

 receiv'd of vessels building by the enemy at Fort Frontenac, that at 

 least three vessels be built immediately at Oswego, of as large a size 

 and force as the depth of the water at the entrance of the harbour 



