On the Lakes 183 



to go badly armed, and so unenterprising as to build 

 but one additional ship, when they could easily have 

 preserved their superiority. 



It is very difficult to give a full and fair account 

 of the lake campaigns. The inland navies were 

 created especially for the war, and, after it were al 

 lowed to decay, so that the records of the tonnage, 

 armament, and crews are hard to get at. Of course, 

 where everything had to be created, the services 

 could not have the regular character of those on the 

 ocean. The vessels employed were of widely differ 

 ent kinds, and this often renders it almost impos 

 sible to correctly estimate the relative force of two 

 opposing squadrons. While the Americans were 

 building their lake navy, they, as make-shifts, made 

 use of some ordinary merchant schooners, which 

 were purchased and fitted up with one or two long. 

 heavy guns each. These gun-vessels had no quar 

 ters, and suffered under all the other disadvantages 

 which make a merchant vessel inferior to a regu 

 larly constructed man-of-war. The chief trouble 

 was that in a heavy sea they had a strong ten 

 dency to capsize, and were so unsteady that the guns 

 could not be aimed when any wind was blowing. 

 Now, if a few of these schooners, mounting long 

 32*5, encountered a couple of man-of-war brigs, 

 armed with carronades, which side was strongest? 

 In smooth water the schooners had the advantage, 

 and in rough weather they were completely at the 

 mercy of the brigs ; so that it would be very hard to 

 get at the true worth of such a contest as each side 



