Saturday, November 10th.—­The Iroquois ahead of us, about a mile distant.  At 10 A.M., I returned the visit of the French commander.  I pointed out to him the insolent manner in which the Iroquois was violating the neutrality of the port.  No additional order had been received from the Governor.  Scraping and painting ship, and repairing the engine to put it in thorough condition for service.  At meridian the Iroquois came to anchor about half a mile from us, at the man-of-war anchorage.  The captain of the Acheron visited me, to say the Governor had directed him to inform me that if I preferred it, he would be glad to have me visit Fort de France with my ship, where he could afford me more ample protection, and whither, he presumed, the Iroquois would not follow me; and if she did, that he would compel her to depart from French waters.

I replied that before deciding upon this invitation, I would wait and see whether the Iroquois accepted the condition of remaining twenty-four hours after my departure, or departing twenty-four hours before me.  The Iroquois got under way again immediately after anchoring, and in the evening the captain of the Acheron sent a lieutenant on board of me, to say that the commander of the Iroquois refused to accept the condition, and that he had been directed to withdraw himself beyond the marine league in consequence.  She remained a few hours to supply herself with refreshments, and as night fell took her station; but not at the distance of a marine league during the night.

We have thus taught this ignoramus Yankee captain some knowledge of, and some respect for, the laws of neutrality.  In the afternoon I took a delightful stroll along the beach northward.

Sunday, November 17th.—­Morning fine.  Visited the church opposite the ship, and heard mass.  The congregation was very large, composed chiefly of blacks—­women.  We were politely shown into the trustees’ pew.  A short sermon, chiefly addressed to some young persons who had just made their first communion, was delivered by a good-looking young priest, who had fair command of language, and was easy and graceful in his manner.

A sort of police officer or fugleman officiated here, as at Fort Royal—­a feature which I did not like.  The Iroquois preserves her distance by daylight.

Monday, November 18th.—­The enemy cruising off the harbour as usual.  Daring the morning a French man-of-war schooner arrived from Fort de France, with the Governor on board (who visits St. Pierre to distribute premiums to the schools), and about one hundred troops to reinforce the fort.  Repairing our machinery and painting ship.  Some boatmen have been imprisoned by the authorities for going out to the enemy.  At nightfall the Director of the Customs came off to see me, and said that the Governor had told him he expected to see the Captain of the Sumter at his (the Director’s) house; adding, that he said this of his own accord—­the