The Iroquois crawled in again last night
within about a mile and a half. As it was cloudy we lost sight of her in
the early part of the night for the first time.
_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.
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