On the Lakes 179 



able to protect his flanks, and would probably have 

 his communications cut. This lake, however, was 

 almost wholly within the United States, and did not 

 become of importance till toward the end of the war. 

 Upon it were two American gunboats, regularly 

 officered and manned, and for such smooth water 

 sufficiently effective vessels. 



What was at that time the western part of the 

 northern frontier became the main theatre of mili 

 tary operations, and as it presented largely a water 

 front, a naval force was an indispensable adjunct, 

 the command of the lakes being of the utmost im 

 portance. As these lakes were fitted for the manoeu 

 vring of ships of the largest size, the operations upon 

 them were of the same nature as those on the ocean, 

 and properly belong to naval and not to military 

 history. But while on the ocean America started 

 with too few ships to enable her really to do any 

 serious harm to her antagonist, on the inland waters 

 the two sides began very nearly on an equality. 

 The chief regular forces either belligerent possessed 

 were on Lake Ontario. Here the United States had 

 a man-of-war brig, the Oncida, of 240 tons, carrying 

 1 6 24-pound carronades, manned by experienced 

 seamen, and commanded by Lieutenant M. T. Wool- 

 sey. Great Britain possessed the Royal George, 22, 

 Prince Regent, 16, Earl of Moira, 14, Gloucester, 

 10, Seneca, 8, and Simco, 8, all under the command 

 of a Commodore Earle ; but though this force was 

 so much the more powerful it was very inefficient, 

 not being considered as belonging to the regular 



