ports.

2. If in any captures the territory of Cuba has been violated, the
Spanish courts will themselves judge of the matter.

3. Any prizes will be detained until instructions can be had from the
Queen.

These points being ascertained, the prizes already at anchor were left
to the care of the prize agent, Don Dias, and at about midnight the
Sumter hove up her anchor and again proceeded to sea. Nothing had as yet
been seen of the prize brig Cuba, which had been left in charge of a
prize crew a day or two before, nor, indeed, did she ever arrive at the
rendezvous, being recaptured by the enemy, and carried off to the United
States.

Shortly after leaving Cienfuegos, a sail was descried in the offing,
which, however, on being overhauled, proved to be only a Spanish brig,
and the Sumter accordingly kept on her course, between 9 and 10 P.M.
passing the Cayman Islets, which, Captain Semmes remarks in his journal,
are laid down some fifteen or sixteen miles to the westward of their
real position. Daylight of the 9th July found the little Sumter
struggling against a strong trade wind and heavy sea, off the western
end of Jamaica, the blue mountains of which picturesque island remained
in sight during the entire day.

At this period an accident occurred which for some time deprived the
Sumter of the active supervision of her commander. Always of delicate
constitution, and ill-fitted for the rough part he had now to play, he
had lately been still further weakened by illness; and on mounting the
companion-ladder, for the purpose of desiring that the vessel might not
be driven at so high a speed against the heavy head-sea, a sudden
giddiness came over him, and after leaning for a few moments with his
head upon his arm, altogether lost consciousness, and fell heavily
backwards down the companion to the cabin floor, where he lay for some
time in a state of insensibility. The result of this fall was some very
serious bruises, with a difficulty in breathing, which for some days
kept him confined to his hammock. At this time, however, the Sumter was
quite out of the ordinary track of commerce, and was labouring slowly
through a heavy sea against the steady and tenacious trade-wind at the
rate of little more than five knots an hour, making terrible inroads
upon the small supply of coal which was so precious to her.

The 13th July found the trade-wind increased to a regular gale, the
Sumter making literally no way at all against