98 Naval War of 1812 



count for at least twice as much as carronades of 

 the same calibre. Thus on Lake Champlain Captain 

 Downie possessed an immense advantage in his 

 long guns, which Commodore Macdonough's ex 

 ceedingly good arrangements nullified. Sometimes 

 part of the advantage may be willingly foregone, so 

 as to acquire some c"ier. Had the Constitution 

 kept at long bowls with the Cyane and Levant she 

 could have probably captured one without any loss 

 to herself, while the other would have escaped ; she 

 preferred to run down close so as to ensure the cap 

 ture of both, knowing that even at close quarters 

 long guns are somewhat better than short ones (not 

 to mention her other advantages in thick scantling, 

 speed, etc.). The British carronades often upset in 

 action; this was either owing to their having been 

 insufficiently secured, and to this remaining undis 

 covered because the men were not exercised at the 

 guns, or else it was because the unpracticed sailors 

 would greatly overcharge them. Our better-trained 

 sailors on the ocean rarely committed these blun 

 ders, but the less-skilled crews on the lakes did so 

 as often as their antagonists. 



But while the Americans thus, as a rule, had heav 

 ier and better-fitted guns, they labored under one 

 or two disadvantages. Our foundries were gener 

 ally not as good as those of the British, and our 

 guns, in consequence, more likely to burst ; it was an 

 accident of this nature which saved the British Bel- 

 videra; and the General Pike, under Commodore 

 Chauncy, and the new American frigate Guerriere 



