On the Lakes 193 



at any one time. A vessel which in one conflict 

 was armed with long i8's, in the next would have 

 replaced some of them with 68-pound carronades; 

 or, beginning life as a ship, she would do most of 

 her work as a schooner, and be captured as a brig, 

 changing her name even oftener than anything else. 

 On the first of September Commodore Isaac 

 Chauncy was appointed commander of the forces 

 on the lakes (except of those on Lake Champlain), 

 and he at once bent his energies to preparing an 

 effective flotilla. A large party of ship-carpenters 

 were immediately despatched to the Harbor; and 

 they were soon followed by about a hundred offi 

 cers and seamen, with guns, stores, etc. The keel 

 of a ship to mount 24 32-pound carronades, and to 

 be called the Madison, was laid down, and she was 

 launched on the 26th of November, just when navi 

 gation had closed on account of the ice. Late in the 

 autumn, four more schooners were purchased, and 

 named the Ontario, Scourge, Fair American, and 

 Asp, but these were hardly used until the following 

 spring. The cruising force of the Americans was 

 composed solely of the Oneida and the six schooners 

 first mentioned. The British squadron was of near 

 ly double this strength, and had it been officered 

 and trained as it was during the ensuing summer, 

 the Americans could not have stirred out of port. 

 But as it was, it merely served as a kind of water 

 militia, the very sailors, who subsequently did well, 

 being then almost useless, and unable to oppose 

 their well-disciplined foes, though the latter were so 



VOL. IX. 9 



