i2o Naval War of 1812 



made the faintest effort to find out the facts for 

 themselves, following James' figures with blind re 

 liance, and accordingly it is only necessary to discuss 

 the latter. This reputable gentleman ends his ac 

 count ("Naval Occurrences," p. 424) by remarking 

 that Macdonough wrote as he did because "he knew 

 that nothing would stamp a falsehood with currency 

 equal to a pious expression, ... his falsehoods 

 equaling in number the lines of his letter." These 

 remarks are interesting as showing the unbiased 

 and truthful character of the author, rather than 

 for any particular weight they will have in influenc 

 ing any one's judgment on Commodore Macdon 

 ough. James gives the engaged force of the British 

 as "8 vessels, of 1,426 tons, with 537 men, and 

 throwing 765 Ibs. of shot." To reduce the force 

 down to this, he first excludes the Finch, because 

 she "grounded opposite an American battery before 

 the engagement commenced" which reads especially 

 well in connection with Capt. Fling's official letter : 

 "Lieut. Hicks, of the Finch, had the mortification to 

 strike on a reef of rocks to the eastward of Crab 

 Island about the middle of the engagement" 20 

 What James means can not be imagined ; no stretch 

 of language will convert "about the middle of" into 

 "before." The Finch struck on the reef in conse- 



80 The italics are mine. The letter is given in full in the 

 "Naval Chronicle." 



