1813	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	250

But this is supposing, that the two squadrons were fitted in an equal manner ; whereas, however incredible it may appear, before they could fire a single great gun on board the Detroit, the men were obliged to discharge a pistol at the touch-hole ! By adding 80 Canadians, and 240 soldiers from the Newfoundland and 41st regiments, to the 50 British seamen, the crew of Commodore Barclay's squadron is made to amount to 345 ; whereas Commodore Captain Perry had picked crews to all his vessels, particularly on board the Lawrence and her sister-brig, and his total of men amounted to at least 580.

On the 10th, soon after daylight, Commodore Barclay discovered the American squadron at anchor in Put-in bay, and immediately bore up, with the wind from the south-west, to bring the enemy to action. Captain Perry thereupon got under way to meet the British ; who, at 10 a.m., by a sudden shift of wind to south-east, were thrown to leeward of their opponents. Commodore Barclay, who carried his broad pendant on board the Detroit, so stationed his vessels, that those which were the nearest to an equality of force in the two squadrons might be opposed together. The schooner Chippeway, commanded by master's mate J. Campbell, was in the van. Then came, in succession, the Detroit and Queen-Charlotte, the latter commanded by Captain Robert Finnis, brig Hunter, Lieutenant George Bignell, schooner Lady-Prevost, Lieutenant Edward Buchan ; and the sloop Little-Belt, by whom commanded we are not aware, brought up the rear.

At about 11 h. 45 m. a.m. the action began ; and the Detroit became closely engaged with the Lawrence, Captain Perry's brig, supported by the schooners Ariel and Scorpion. Although the matches and tubes of the Detroit were so defective, that pistols were obliged to be fired at the guns to set them off, the seamen, Canadians, and soldiers plied their guns so well that, in the course of two hours, they knocked the Lawrence almost to pieces, and, after driving Captain Perry out of her, compelled her to surrender ; but, having sailed with only one boat, and that being cut to pieces, the Detroit could not take possession of the American brig, and the latter, as soon as she had dropped out of gun-shot, rehoisted her colours.

In the mean time the Queen-Charlotte, with her 24-pounder carronades, had been opposed by the Niagara, supported, as the Lawrence had been, by two schooners with heavy long guns. In a few minutes Captain Finnis was killed ; and his successor in the command, Lieutenant John Stokes, was struck senseless by a splinter. The next officer, provincial Lieutenant Irvine, was without any experience, and therefore comparatively useless.

The Queen-Charlotte soon afterwards struck her colours. From having kept out of the range of the Charlotte's carronades, the Niagara was a fresh vessel, and to her Captain Perry proceeded. As soon as he got on board, the American commodore,

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