easily gain the Detroit,
and thence pass into lake Erie, at the further extremity of which they
might, favoured by Providence, effect a landing, and penetrate to the
inhabited parts of the colony of New York. The other alternative
was,--and he left it to themselves to determine,--to sink the vessel on
the approach of winter, and throw themselves into the fort before them,
there to await and share the destiny of its gallant defenders.

With the generous enthusiasm of their profession, the noble fellows had
determined on the latter course. With their officer they fully
coincided in opinion, that their ultimate hopes of life depended on the
safe passage of the Sinclair; for it was but too obvious, that soon or
late, unless some very extraordinary revolution should be effected in
the intentions of the Indians, the fortress must be starved into
submission. Still, as it was tolerably well supplied with provisions,
this gloomy prospect was remote, and they were willing to run all
chances with their friends on shore, rather than desert them in their
extremity. The determination expressed by them, therefore, was, that
when they could no longer keep the lake in safety, they would, if the
officer permitted it, scuttle the vessel, and attempt an entrance into
the fort, where they would share the fate of the troops, whatever it
might chance to be.

No sooner was this resolution made known, than their young commander
sought an opportunity of communicating with the garrison, This,
however, was no very easy task; for, so closely was the fort hemmed in
by the savages, it was impossible to introduce a messenger within its
walls; and so sudden had been the cutting off of all communication
between the vessel and the shore, that the thought had not even
occurred to either commander to establish the most ordinary
intelligence by signal. In this dilemma recourse was had to an
ingenious expedient. The dispatches of the officer were enclosed in one
of the long tin tubes in which were generally deposited the maps and
charts of the schooner, and to this, after having been carefully
soldered, was attached an inch rope of several hundred fathoms in
length: the case was then put into one of the ship's guns, so placed as
to give it the elevation of a mortar; thus prepared, advantage was
taken of a temporary absence of the Indians to bring the vessel within
half a mile of the shore, and when the attention of the garrison,
naturally attracted by this