Boston (Schooner), fire, 1767

"Before the end of 1761, a party of workmen with necessary tools and materials came from New York and established a small shipyard on what became known as Navy Island in the Niagara River above the Falls. Sir William Johnson gave some personnel supervision to the work which was carried on under the direction of John Dease, his nephew. A considerable quantity of sawn timber and plank, prepared by the French was opportunely discovered in Chippewa Creek, and a sloop or Schooner , named the HURON was launched and rigged and sailed for Detroit in October. During the next two years, the sloop's BEAVER and CHARLOTTE, and the schooners BOSTON, GLADWIN and VICTORY were built and equipped at Navy Island.
      Memorials of Fort Erie and Early Navigation of Lake Erie
      by Colonel Cruckshank p1.
     
     
     
General Gage wrote to Capt Browne, Commandant at Fort Niagara on Nov, 13, 1768, reprimanding him severely.
      " Your letter without date gives me an account of the burning of the BOSTON schooner, and incloses a letter on that subject from Lieut. Poynton who commands at Fort Erie. This is the second vessel destroyed by fire since your command at Niagara, without you being able to discoverwhat means the accident happened, and therefore suspected to have been purposely st on fire by Indians. had you taken the precaution to have put a guard of four men only into them, these accidents could not have happened. And I cannot be otherwise than surprised to a great degree, that after the first vessel was destroyed, you should risk the loss of another by the same intention, as was shown to the preservation of the vessels from the beginning. It is of little purpose to build vessels if they are left to the mercy of every vagabond trader or Drunken Indian whpo shall be prompted by malice or disaffection to destroy them."
      Memorials of Fort Erie and Early Navigation of Lake Erie
      by Colonel Cruckshank p10.