e day, with a light breeze
from the S.E. and a smooth sea. At 7 A.M., "Sail, ho!" from aloft.
Despatched a couple of boats to the prize schooner to bring away some of
the live stock, and sent orders to the prize master to set fire to the
prize and return on board. These orders being all executed and the boats
run up, at 8.30, steamed in pursuit of the strange sail. At eleven came
up with, and sent a boat on board of the Danish brig Una, from
Copenhagen to Santa Cruz, sixty-nine days out. Permitted her to proceed
on her course after a detention of about half-an-hour. We showed her the
United States colours. This evening, having directed the junior
lieutenant to send to the master of the prize schooner Daniel
Trowbridge, for the log slates of the schooner which he, the master, had
put among his private baggage, it was reported to me that the master in
delivering these articles to the messenger, the sergeant of marines,
used this insolent language--"D---- them. I hope they will do them no
good, and if they want a shirt I can lend them that too." I had the man
seized and put in double irons. Lat. 16.40 N., long. 58.16 W.

_Thursday, October 31st_.--Beautiful clear weather, with a light
breeze from the North and East. Got up and sunned the ball cartridges,
some of which had been damaged by the damp, and overhauled the pumps
which had gotten out of order. At 2 A.M. a light having been reported to
me, I ordered steam gotten up and made pursuit. As we came up with it,
we found it to be a burning fragment of the schooner which we had fired
eighteen hours before. Banked fires. We have been greatly interested
since our last capture in examining a lot of newspapers found on board.
They are as late as the 8th October, and give us most cheering accounts
of the war. We have gloriously whipped the enemy at all points, and have
brought Missouri and Kentucky out of the Union. The tone of the European
press is highly favourable to our cause, and indicates a prompt
recognition of our independence. And all this cheering information we
get from the enemy himself! Lat. 16.54 N., long. 57.59 W. The master of
the prize schooner Trowbridge, having made a very humble apology for his
conduct of yesterday, and asked to be released from confinement, I
directed him to be discharged from close custody and to have his irons
taken off.

The Daniel Trowbridge, however, was the last prize that fell to the
Sumter's lot on this cruise. She was now in the f