126 Naval War of 1812 



action is, as regards metal, the exact reverse of those 

 between Chauncy and Yeo. Take, for example, the 

 fight off Burlington on Sept. 28, 1813. Yeo's broad 

 side was 1,374 Ibs. to Chauncy's 1,288; but whereas 

 only 1 80 of Yeo's was from long guns, of Chauney's 

 but 536 was from carronades. Chauncy's fleet was 

 thus much the superior. At least we must say this : 

 if Macdonough beat merely an equal force, then 

 Yeo made a most disgraceful and cowardly flight be 

 fore an inferior foe; but if we contend that Mac- 

 donough's force was inferior to that of his antag 

 onist, then we must admit that Yeo's was in like 

 manner inferior to Chauncy's. These rules work 

 both ways. The ConHance was a heavier vessel than 

 the Pike, presenting in broadside one long 24- and 

 three 32-pound carronades more than the latter. 

 James (Vol. VI, p. 355) says: "The Pike alone was 

 nearly a match for Sir James Yeo's squadron," and 

 Brenton says (Vol. II, 503) : "The General Pike 

 was more than a match for the whole British squad 

 ron." Neither of these writers means quite as much 

 as he says, for the logical result would be that the 

 Confiance alone was a match for all of Macdon- 

 ough's force. Still it is safe to say that the Pike 

 gave Chauncy a great advantage, and that the Con- 

 fiance made Downie's fleet much superior to Mac- 

 donough's. 



Macdonough saw that the British would be forced 



