under the following circumstances:—­An English steamer, having arrived from Liverpool with an extra quantity of coal on board, offered to supply me.  I got steam up to go alongside of her for the purpose, when, with a very low pressure, my boilers gave way in so serious a manner as to extinguish the fires in one of the furnaces.  I was obliged, of course, to “blow off;” and upon a re-examination of the boilers, by a board of survey, it was ascertained that they had been destroyed to such an extent as to render them entirely untrustworthy.  It was found, indeed, to be necessary either to supply the ship with new boilers or to lift the old ones out of her, and renew entirely the arches and other important parts of them, which could only be done in a machinist’s shop, and with facilities not to be found at Gibraltar.  In this state of things, it became necessary, in my judgment, either to lay the ship up, or to sell her.  Of course, the remaining by her of myself, my officers and crew, in her disabled and useless condition, was not to be thought of.  Still, I felt that the responsibility was a grave one; and deeming it more respectful to the department that it should be assumed by some one higher in authority than myself, I reported the facts to the Hon. James M. Mason, our commissioner in London, and requested him to assume the power.[7]

[Footnote 7:  The following is the letter here referred to:—­

   C.S.  Steamer Sumter, Bay of Gibraltar,
   March 3rd, 1862.

SIR,—­I had the honour to address you a note a day or two ago, requesting you to assume the responsibility of giving me an order to lay the Sumter up, that my officers and myself may return to the Confederate States, to take a more active part in the war.  I now enclose you a copy of a letter addressed to me by the wardroom officers of this ship on the same subject, by which you will perceive that there is no difference of opinion between us as to the policy and propriety of the step indicated.  Each succeeding mail is bringing us intelligence that the enemy is pressing us on all sides, and it would seem that we shall have occasion for every arm and all our energies and resources to defend ourselves.  The most that we could hope to accomplish by remaining where we are would be, perhaps, to occupy the attention of an additional steamer of the enemy.  One steamer will always remain to watch the ship, in whatever condition she may be; and probably no more than two would continue the blockade if the officers remained by her.  The enemy, having some 300 armed ships afloat, one ship would seem to make no appreciable difference in his offensive force.  I would not press this matter upon you so earnestly if there was any certainty of my hearing from the Secretary of the Navy in any reasonable time; but my despatches are liable to capture, as are his despatches to me, and many months may therefore elapse before I can receive his orders.  I can readily understand how, under ordinary circumstances,