On the Lakes 133 



leys were handled with determined gallantry, under 

 the command of Lieutenant Bell. Had they driven 

 off the Ticonderoga they would have won the day 

 for their side, and they pushed up till they were not 

 a boathook's length distant, to try to carry her by 

 boarding; but every attempt was repulsed and they 

 were forced to draw off, some of them so crippled by 

 the slaughter they had suffered that they could 

 hardly man the oars. 



Meanwhile the fighting at the head of the line 

 had been even fiercer. The first broadside of the 

 Confiance, fired from 16 long 24*5, double shotted, 

 coolly sighted, in smooth water, at point-blank 

 range, produced the most terrible effect on the Sara 

 toga. Her hull shivered all over with the shock, 

 and when the crash subsided nearly half of her peo 

 ple were seen stretched on deck, for many had been 

 knocked down who were not seriously hurt. Among 

 the slain was her first lieutenant, Peter Gamble ; he 

 was kneeling down to sight the bow-gun, when a 

 shot entered the port, split the quoin, and drove a 

 portion of it against his side, killing him without 

 breaking the skin. The survivors carried on the 

 fight with undiminished energy. Macdonough him 

 self worked like a common sailor, in pointing and 

 handling a favorite gun. While bending over to 

 sight it a round shot cut in two the spanker boom, 

 which fell on his head and struck him senseless for 



