ndered, but could not be taken possession
of, and the others bolted at such a pace as to render pursuit hopeless,
for these little gunboats are very slow. They made the attack at
daylight, and though much fired at were never struck. They seem to have
taken the Yankees by surprise, and to have created great alarm; but at
that time the blockading squadron consisted entirely of improvised
men-of-war. Since this exploit, the frigate Ironsides, and the sloop of
war Powhattan, have been added to its strength.

It poured with rain during the evening, and we had a violent
thunderstorm. General Beauregard returned to Charleston this afternoon.

[47] This must have been about the spot from whence Fort Sumter was
afterwards bombarded. I cannot help thinking that the Confederates made
a great mistake in not fortifying the further end of Morris Island and
keeping a larger garrison there, for when the Federals landed, they met
with no fortification until they reached Fort Wagner.

* * * * *

_12th June_ (Friday).--I called at an exchange office this morning, and
asked the value of gold: they offered me six to one for it. I went to a
slave auction at 11; but they had been so quick about it that the whole
affair was over before I arrived, although I was only ten minutes late.
The negroes--about fifteen men, three women, and three children--were
seated on benches, looking perfectly contented and indifferent. I saw
the buyers opening the mouths and showing the teeth of their new
purchases to their friends in a very business-like manner. This was
certainly not a very agreeable spectacle to an Englishman, and I know
that many Southerners participate in the same feeling; for I have often
been told by people that they had never seen a negro sold by auction,
and never wished to do so. It is impossible to mention names in
connection with such a subject, but I am perfectly aware that many
influential men in the South feel humiliated and annoyed with several of
the incidents connected with slavery; and I think that if the
Confederate States were _left alone_, the system would be much modified
and amended, although complete emancipation cannot be expected; for the
Southerners believe it to be as impracticable to cultivate cotton on a
large scale in the South, without forced black labour, as the British
have found it to produce sugar in Jamaica; and they declare that the
example the English have set them of sudden