Kingston Gazette, June 8, 1816

p.2 Melancholy Occurrence - On Wednesday last, as a Batteaux, loaded with sand was proceeding to town from Cataraqui Creek, when about 100 rods off the Massagua Point battery, a flaw of wind struck her and she immediately sunk. Out of four men that were on board, three were drowned; the other caught hold of a plank and kept himself afloat, until he received assistance from the shore. We have not learned the names of those drowned.

Order of the Lt. Governor in Council

Province of Upper Canada - At a Council for the Affairs of the Province, held at York, in the said Province, on the 22nd day of May, in the fifty-sixth year of His Majesty's reign, and in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixteen.

Present His Excellency the Lt. Gov.

It having been represented that the Tonnage duty of 12s. 6d. per ton, imposed on all Vessels exceeding 5 Tons belonging to the subjects of the United States, entering any port or harbor in this Province is higher than that imposed in the ports of the United States on the Tonnage of vessels belonging to His Majesty's subjects. It is ordered that so much of the Order in Council of the 18th of April, 1816 as imposes a tonnage duty on vessels belonging to the subjects of the said United States, be cancelled, and that the following Tonnage duty be imposed in lieu thereof:

On all Vessels above 5 Tons to 50 Tons, the Tonnage duty to be 3 1/2d per Ton. From 50 to 100 tons, 5s. or one dollar per ton.

On all Vessels above 100 tons, 12s 6 d per ton.

John Small, Clerk of the Executive Council.

Steam Boats - Repeated experiments which have been made in this country and Europe, appear to have established in the minds of intelligent persons acquainted with steam navigation, a confidence that steam boats properly constructed can navigate the ocean in safety, even in the most tempestuous weather. If this fact is established, it follows of course, that they can be used on the lake with great certainty of success. Messrs. Porter, Barton & Co. we are happy to learn, are so well satisfied of this fact, that they have concluded to build, the next season, a steam vessel of one hundred tons Burthen, which is to run on the Niagara river, and between this place and Detroit. If the experiment proves fortunate, and we have no doubt but that it will, the navigation of Lake Erie will in a few years, be in a great degree effected by vessels of this description. We already flatter ourselves, that at no very distant period, the communication between Buffalo and Detroit will be as regular and almost as expeditious, as it now is between Albany and New York. [Niagara Journal]

Taken up, adrift on Thursday last, about three quarters of a mile north of Long Island, a new Batteaux of about two tons burthen, The owner can have it again by applying to the subscriber, or to Frederick Farman, about 12 miles below Kingston, by proving property and paying charges.          Elias Pater, Pittsburgh, June 8th, 1816.