On the Lakes 313 



pounds. As the enemy's fire was directed almost 

 exclusively at the Lawrence she suffered a great 

 deal. The Caledonia, Niagara, and Sowers were 

 meanwhile engaging, at long range, the Hunter and 

 Queen Charlotte, opposing from their long guns 

 96 pounds to the 39 pounds of their antagonists, 

 while from a distance the three other American gun- 

 vessels engaged the Prevost and Little Belt. By 

 12.20 the Laurence had worked down to close quar- 

 ters, and at 12.30 the action was going on with 

 great fury between her and her antagonists, within 

 canister range. The raw and inexperienced Ameri- 

 can crews committed the same fault the British so 

 often fell into on the ocean, and overloaded their 

 carronades. In consequence, that of the Scorpion 

 upset down the hatchway in the middle of the action, 

 and the sides of the Detroit were dotted with marks 

 from shot that did not penetrate. One of the Ariel's 

 long I2's also burst. Barclay fought the Detroit 

 exceedingly well, her guns being most excellently 

 aimed, though they actually had to be discharged by 

 flashing pistols at the touchholes, so deficient was the 

 ship's equipment. Meanwhile the Caledonia came 

 down too, but the Niagara was wretchedly handled, 

 Elliott keeping at a distance which prevented the 

 use either of his carronades or of those of the Queen 

 Charlotte, his antagonist; the latter, however, suf- 

 fered greatly from the long guns of the opposing 

 schooners, and lost her gallant commander, Captain 

 Finnis, and first lieutenant, Mr. Stokes, who were 

 killed early in the action; her next in command, 



VOL. IX.-14 



