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17

he performed with the greatest propriety) and on my arrival I found the Lady Prevost Chippawa and Mary (Transport) the latter laden with Flour, waiting for a fair wind.

On going on board the Lady Prevost I was agreeably surprised in her being a fine strong vessel but much disappointed as to her Crew. I enclose a Statement of the force & Crews of the two that are here, that of the others I am sorry to say, that report makes them no better. The Queen Charlotte carries 16. 24 lb. Carronades and 4 - long 12.s with a Complement of 75 Men Marines inclusive; and not above 7 Seamen on board of her. The Hunter is a miserably small thing carries 4 -- 12 lb. Carronades and 2 long 6s - with thirty men almost all Soldiers -- and there are two Gun boats with out a Man - Thus you may observe that the state of the Squadron on Lake Erie is by no means so well manned and equipped as you were led to believe from report and candidly (with the exception of about 10) the Men which I brought with me are but little calculated to make them better. I have men on board the Lady Prevost & Chippawa I have mustered and examined -- some even cannot speak English, all are Canadians with very few exceptions. The Enemy are building Gun Boats in every , besides two sloops of war at Presque Isle & two Schooners under Black Roche in Niagara River, well manned which will now be able to pass Fort Erie & rendevous in some place until they are strong enough to attack, which however will be a long time yet I hope. I am told that Presque Isle is a bare harbour & that there is not above 6 feet water on it -- if it is so, the Vessels must come out of the harbour to be rigged and armed, & that they shall never accomplish if it is in my power to prevent it -- But I hope you will see the necessity of sending me a reinforcement of good Seamen that by mixing them with these I have I may be able to perform any service with honor to ourselves and advantage to the Country. The Detroit will not be ready to Launch for some weeks yet -- and when she is there is absolutely not a man to join her without unmanning another. The Communication by way of Burlington Bay is very good; it is all land, but except in one place the roads are good, & there are plenty of Horses and Waggons to convey their Baggage- and as this is exactly opposite to Presque Isle there will be generally some Vessel here -- or an express may be sent to Amherstburg to advise me of the arrival of any men here or of their having left Burlington Bay on their way -- Indeed until Niagara is open again I should suppose this to be the only mode of sending Troops or any other reinforcement or Stores that may be deemed requisite it is only 50 Miles across the Country.

I am informed that there is neither Stop[?] Clothing at Amherstburg or Cloth to be procured to make them I am much concerned to state that several of the Seamen lost their baggage owing to an alarm that the Enemy were following -- the horses were taken from the Waggons in the rear & put to the field Artillery -- and the baggage destroyed. I could not save it even some Ammunition was thrown into the river. The great cause of it was the many disaffected people that the Country abounds with, many of whom took away the horses and even the Harness from the Guns -

I am happy to state that the men have conducted themselves with great propriety except one or two of whom I shall make an example of,