At this time, one of the two vessels, which proved to be the Commodore, fired two guns to leeward and hoisted a French flag at his foretop mast head, which we took for a signal for the two sternmost vessels to make sail and join, as he and the next to him directly hauled on the wind, and clewed up their main top sails. At 5 o'clock, being then about one and a half miles from them, we found they were all four schooners, and the two whose distance I have just mentioned, very large vessels with several guns of a side. The other two appeared as large, but of what force we could not see, they being farther off On which, Capt. Lafory came on board and a council being called,

it

was thought most prudent to avoid an engagement, the enemy being far

superior to us, and the utmost consequence our welfare was to Oswego.

the Oswego, Com. Bradley, with only 4 pounders,

Our force consisted

:

first,

three pounder, and 45 seamen and soldiers

the Ontario, Capt. Lafory, with 4 four pounders, 1 three pounder, and 45 seamen and soldiers ; a

small schooner not bigger than a four cord boat, under the command of Mr. Farmer, with 6 swivels,

and 13 seamen and soldiers.

At half past five, wore and made the best of our way to Oswego.

On

PAPERS RELATING TO OSWESO.

which the enemy gave chase, and had the French Commodore behaved at the time as he ought, he must have brought us to action very soon and taken us but he was unwilling to attack without his :