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 Excellency the Governor, comes every night, under cover of the darkness, within a mile and a-half, or less, of the anchorage.  Last night, at nine o’clock, she was seen from my deck with the naked eye, assisted by an occasional flash of lightning; and as the night was comparatively obscure, no vessel, not being under sail, could have been seen at a greater distance than from a mile to a mile and a quarter.

I have besides to inform you, that two small boats communicated with the enemy in broad daylight yesterday, one of them pulling, upon leaving her, to the north point, and the other to the south point, of the harbour.

I have, &c., &c., (Signed) R. SEMMES.

To M. Duchaxel, Commander of His French Majesty’s steamer, L’Acheron.

Friday, November 22nd.—­The enemy about two and a half miles distant.  The engineer will be ready to-day, and, God willing, we will get out to-night.  Wrote to the captain of the Acheron, in reply to the position assumed by the governor:—­

   C.S.  Steamer Sumter, St. Pierre,
   Nov. 22nd, 1861.

SIR,—­I have had the honour to receive your letter of yesterday, in which you communicate to me the views of the Governor of Martinique relative to the protection of my right of asylum in the waters of this island; and I regret to say that those views do not appear to me to come up to the requirements of the international code.  The Governor says, “that it does not enter into his intentions to exercise towards the Iroquois, either by night or by day, so active a surveillance as you desire.”  And you tell me that “we ought to have confidence in the strict execution of a promise made by a commander in the military marine of the American Union, so long as he has not shown to us evidence that this engagement has not been scrupulously fulfilled.”  It