brigs were used as small warships carrying about 10 to 18 cannons. due to their speed and maneuverability they were popular among pirates (though they were rare among american and caribbean pirates). their use stretches back before the 17th century. however one of the most famous periods for the brig was during the 19th century when they were involved in famous naval battles such as the battle of lake erie. in the early 19th century the brig was a standard cargo ship. it was seen as "fast and well sailing", but required a large crew to handle its rigging. while brigs could not sail into the wind as easily as fore-and-aft–rigged vessels such as schooners a skilled brig captain could "manoeuvre it with ease and elegance; a brig could for instance turn around almost on the spot". a brig's square-rig also had the advantage over a fore-and-aft–rigged vessel when travelling in the open ocean. when fore-and aft rigged vessels sailed downwind for extended distances and where "the danger of a sudden jibe was the large schooner-captain's nightmare". this trait later led to the evolution of the barquentine. the need for large crews in relation to their smaller size led to the decline of the production of brigs. they were replaced in commercial traffic by gaff sail schooners (which needed smaller crews) and steam boats (which did not have the windward performance problems of square rigged ships).