On the Lakes 127 



to make the attack in order to get the control of the 

 waters. On this long, narrow lake the winds usu 

 ally blow pretty nearly north or south, and the set 

 of the current is of course northward ; all the vessels, 

 being flat and shallow, could not beat to windward 

 well, so there was little chance of the British making 

 the attack when there was a southerly wind blow 

 ing. So late in the season there was danger of sud 

 den and furious gales, which would make it risky for 

 Downie to wait outside the bay till the wind suited 

 him ; and inside the bay the wind was pretty sure to 

 be light and baffling. Young Macdonough (then 

 but 28 years of age) calculated all these chances very 

 coolly and decided to await the attack at anchor in 

 Plattsburg Bay, with the head of his line so far to' 

 the north that it could hardly be turned, and then 

 proceeded to make all the other preparations with 

 the same foresight. Not only were his vessels pro 

 vided with springs, but also with anchors to be used 

 astern in any emergency. The Saratoga was further 

 prepared for a change of wind, or for the necessity 

 of winding ship, by having a kedge planted broad off 

 on each of her bows, with a hawser and preventer 

 hawser (hanging in bights under water) leading 

 from each quarter to the kedge on that side. There 

 had not been time to train the men thoroughly at the 

 guns ; and to make these produce their full effect the 

 constant supervision of the officers had to be ex- 



