376 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. VI. 
none of that description on this lake—at least on board His Majesty’s 
vessels. There are scarcely enough, and of a miserable description, to 
work the vessels, some of which cannot be used for want of hands. such 
even as we have. I have the highest opinion of hee Barclay, and 
have afforded him every aid I possibly could. 
Captain Barclay has, besides the Royal Newf’dland, one Aarne ain 
fifty of the 41st Regt. better soldiers they cannot be, but they are cnly 
landsmen. : St A ar ot ee 
I will venture to after my opinion to Nour Eeecieney: that as long as 
Captain Barclay, without seamen, can avoid the enemy, he should do so. 
All my ordnance is on board, except the field, and in the event of any 
disaster to the fleet, the arrival of any body of seamen would be of no 
use whatever. Seamen should be pushed on even by dozens.’* 
The day before, Perry’s squadron had left its anchorage among the Bass 
Islands, where great numbers of boats were being collected for the trans- 
portation of troops, and after reconnoitering Amherstburg dropped down 
the lake about twenty miles to a settlement on the Canadian side, where 
they seemed to contemplate landing. But two or three days later it 
again disappeared, and was supposed to have gone to Long Point. 
“JT can assure Your Excellency,” Procter wrote on the 29th, “that 
every effort is making to have the fleet as effective as possible, especially 
in rendering the men expert at the guns, and that on the arrival of the 
officers and seamen, offensive operations will commence, tho’ I must say, 
because I know it to be the case, that the supply of both officers and 
seamen is very inadequate. Your Excellency is not aware that the 
state of the Provincial Marine here was scarcely better than that on 
Lake Ontario, which it has been found requisite to lay aside. Interested 
individuals have prevented this truth from appearing, that the MVauvy 
might not be on this lake. I informed Major-General Sheaffe that the 
change was equally requisite here. I look on Captain Barclay’s arrival 
here, tho’ late, as a fortunate circumstance. I should have been very 
averse to sending soldiers on board but with officers of the Royal Navy. 
I feel it a duty incumbent on me to state circumstances as they really 
are. There are not on the fleet more than four-and-twenty seamen 
I entreat your Excellency to direct more sailors to be sent to this 
lake.” + 
Barclay wrote Yeo on September Ist :— 
***Canadian Archives.” C. 679, p, 494- 
+‘‘Canadian Archives,” C. 679, p. 504. 
