Cocks-of-the-Walk in Fiji Islands: Schooner Days MII (1002)

by C. H. J. Snider

1951 Ontario's Win Against Three Navies and R.S.Y.C. in Ships' Boat Racing in the Pacific

WHO'D have thought it? A passing hail via Australian air mail if you please from H.M.C.S. Ontario at sea, stirred up by the little piece about Ontario's namesake in the old Provincial Marine two centuries ago!

Quoting: "As we steamed down the Bass Strait on our way to Melbourne your article on the Provincial Marine was read with great interest. How big were our two predecessors and what battles or actions did they take part in?"

That's a fair question, and well worth the $64. Full details will appear. in "H.M. Provincial Marine, 1755-1813, Acorn of the R.C.N." if and when that monumental work appears (and we hope it will be soon) as the first or second volume of "Schooner Days" which has been teetering on the launching ways for so long. Meanwhile the information in our economy size package:

H. M. Sloop Ontario (I) 10 guns, 60 tons, 55' on deck, 43' keel, 15' beam, 7' depth, complement 45 men, Capt. Laforey, R.N. Fought in first battle on fresh water, June 27, and in siege and battle of Oswego, Aug. 13-16, 1756. Destroyed in Bradstreet's capture of Frontenac, 1758.

H. M. Snow, Ontario (II) 22 guns, 226 tons, 64' keel, 23' beam, 9' depth, complement, 66 men, actual crew 40, Capt. James Andrews, head of Ontario naval establishment, commander. Lost with all on board, 172 men, in greatest sailing disaster on the lakes, Nov. 1, 1780, in an expedition against the Mohawk Valley in the War of Independence.

To end cheerfully, list to what out lads in H.M.C.S. Ontario, 10,000 ton cruiser and flagship of the Pacific Squadron have done in 1951:

"Our cruise has been quite successful so far, and we have held our own with our Australian brothers at sea. You will be pleased to know that at sailing we have been lucky enough to win some of the races for service boats at Sydney, while at Suva, Fiji Islands, we sailed against the Royal Suva Yacht Club for a shield put up for competition in 1932 between H.M. ships and the club. We won it for the first time, after R.N., R.A.N., and R.N.Z.N. ships had tried."

As good luck, Ontario, at everything you try. May you always come back as Bradstreet did from Frontenac, with objective attained without the loss of one man. And he had 3,000 in whaleboats!

"GRIMMON HARDFIST, Your Honors"—one of the original seamen for the first of the ONTARIOs, as drawn by Dominic Serres.—John Ross Robertson Collection, Toronto Public Library.