360 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [Vor yvIs- 
strangely negligent in utilizing its extensive resources in that quarter 
until disaster convinced them of the necessity. 
The services of the only two British ships afloat when hostilities be- 
gan were by no means inconsiderable although they were weakly manned 
and not efficiently officered. Captain Hall, who had _ succeeded 
Grant in the command, blockaded the United States brig Adams at the 
shipyard in the mouth of the River Rouge below Detroit, where she had 
been lately rebuilt. On July 3rd, Lieut. Frederick Rolette, a young 
French Canadian officer in command of the Hunter, captured the 
Cayahoga Packet with General Hull’s baggage and many official docu- 
ments of value. He then cruised along the south shore of the lake tak- 
ing several boats and small craft loaded with provisions and effectually 
cutting off Hull’s communication by water with the coast below from 
which he expected to draw most of his supplies, and finally on August 
7th, he captured a convoy of eleven batteaux having on board the bag- 
gage and fifty-six wounded men belonging to a column sent to re-open 
the communication with Ohio by land. 
At the same time the Queen Charlotte by her presence in the river 
alone had delayed Hull’s operations and prevented the advance of his 
siege artillery against Amherstburg while Brock was enabled to send 
forward reinforcements by water from Long Point and Fort Erie in per- 
fect safety, gaining several days’ time and avoiding the fatigue of the 
overland march. On August 16th that ship covered the landing of 
the British troops in Michigan while part of her crew manned the bat- 
teries opposite Detroit. On the surrender of the garrison the only two 
armed vessels possessed by the American Government on the upper lakes, 
the Adams and a worn-out sloop, were taken. 
Although only a few merchant schooners and a sloop still remained 
uncaptured and these had been collected at the ship-yard of Black Rock 
in the mouth of Niagara river where they were blockaded by batteries 
on the opposite bank, Sir George Prevost still felt far from secure in that 
quarter. 
As early as October 27th, 1812, he informed Lord Bathurst that 
“The Government of the United States have become sensible of the 
great advantages we have hitherto derived from our naval superiority on 
the lakes and are using uncommon exertions to obtain a force superior 
to ours both on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. 
“ It is necessary I should dwell a few moments upon this circumstance 
to solicit the attention of His Majesty’s Government to that important 
