290 Naval War of 1812 



and even this very questionable "predominance" 

 lasted but six weeks, after which the British squad- 

 ron was blockaded in port most of the time. The 

 action has a parallel in that fought on the 22d of 

 July, 1805, by Sir Robert Calder's fleet of 15 sail 

 of the line against the Franco-Spanish fleet of 20 

 sail of the line, under M. Villeneuve. 21 The two 

 fleets engaged in a fog, and the English captured 

 two ships, when both sides drew off, and remained 

 in sight of each other the next day without either re- 

 newing the action. "A victory therefore it was that 

 Sir Robert Calder had gained, but not a 'decisive* 

 nor a 'brilliant' victory." 22 This is exactly the criti- 

 cism that should be passed on Sir James Lucas 

 Yeo's action of the loth of August. 



From the i3th of August to the loth of Septem- 

 ber both fleets were on the lake most of the time, 

 each commodore stoutly maintaining that he was 

 chasing the other; and each expressing in his let- 

 ters his surprise and disgust that his opponent should 

 be afraid of meeting him "though so much superior 

 in force." The facts are of course difficult to get at, 

 but it seems pretty evident that Yeo was determined 

 to engage in heavy, and Chauncy in light, weather ; 



21 "Batailles Navales de la France," par O. Troude, Hi, 352. 

 It seems rather ridiculous to compare these lake actions, 

 fought between small flotillas, with the gigantic contests 

 which the huge fleets of Europe waged in contending for 

 the supremacy of the ocean ; but the difference is one of de- 

 gree and not of kind, and they serve well enough for pur- 

 poses of illustration or comparison. 



93 James' "Naval History," iv, 14. 



