hinery would be finished by
to-morrow evening. Heavy rain in the evening. The Iroquois within the
marine league. Visited by the commander of the French schooner of war,
whom we called on yesterday. About 10 P.M. the British mail steamer
arrived from St. Thomas. Sent a boat on board of her, and got English
papers to the 1st November. She brings intelligence of the enemy's
steamer St. Jacinto, having boarded an English steam-packet, and taken
out of her Messrs. Slidell and Mason, who had been carried to the
Havannah by the Nashville. The English people will regard this as an
insult to their flag, and in this way it may do us good. Night clear;
moon rising a little before eight. Not quite darkness enough for our
purpose yet.

_Wednesday, November 20th._--Morning clear; wind variable. The Iroquois
never loses sight of us, violating the neutrality of the port by night
by coming within the marine league to observe us. Sent the engineer on
shore to hurry the repair of his pumps. Loosed sails. Furled at
meridian, and ordered the fires to be lighted at 1 P.M.; the weather
looking unsettled, heeled the ship and scraped the grass off her port
side near the water-line. The Iroquois crawled in again last night
within about a mile and a half. As it was cloudy we lost sight of her in
the early part of the night for the first time.

_Thursday, November 21st._--Cloudy, with slight showers of rain. Drew
the charges from the battery and reloaded it; and examined and put in
order for action the small arms. Got up some barrels of salt provisions
and arranged them on each side of the quarter-deck to trim ship. She lay
an inch or two too much by the head. A boat employed filling up our
water. Changed our fasts to the shores in readiness for a move. Hurrying
the engineer with his work. I fear every moment to see another enemy's
ship arrive. During the morning the Governor returned in the Acheron to
Fort de France. In the afternoon the Acheron came back. Wrote a note to
the latter complaining of the continued violation of the neutrality of
the port by the enemy's ship. Engineer not ready, so we are obliged to
lie over another day.

C.S. Steamer Sumter, St Pierre,
Nov. 21st, 1861.

SIR,--It becomes my duty to complain of the continued violation of the
neutrality of this port, and of my right of asylum, by the enemy's steam
sloop of war the Iroquois.

This vessel, in shameful disregard of the warnings she has received from
his Excell