Legend of the Lake: The 22-Gun Brig-Sloop Ontario, 1780

159 pp. "On Halloween 1780, near Fort Niagara, the worst shipwreck in the history of Lake Ontario occurred. The 22-gun brig-sloop Ontario, built at the Carleton Island shipyard near present-day Kingston to defend British North America against the revolutionary forces of George Washington, foundered in a violent storm. Legend of the Lake is the story of the building, launching, foundering, and recent discovery of Ontario in deep water, almost intact, with both masts in place. Features British Admiralty plans for the ship, with scale drawings by renowned maritime architectural draughtsman John W. McKay, full-color paintings of Ontario and her sister ship Limnade by Peter Rindlisbacher, as well as portraits of soldiers and seamen. Of special interest to maritime historians is a full description of the technique and materials used in building the ship as well as a list of shipwrights employed on Carleton Island. For the social historian, the book presents a picture of daily life at Fort Haldimand on Carleton Island and on board a lake vessel. For the military historian, the book provides a description of Ontario's armament and accounts of the various regiments involved in dockyard defence and conducting raids against northern New York. And for all readers, Legend of the Lake is a captivating tale of high adventure and mystery."