ency 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 would appear from
these expressions that the only protection I am to receive against the
blockade of the enemy is a simple promise exacted from that enemy, that
he will keep himself without the marine league of the land; the Governor
in the meantime exercising no watch by night or by day to see whether
this promise is complied with. In addition to the facts related by me
yesterday, I have this morning to report that one of my officers, being
on shore in the northern environs of the town last night, between eight
and nine o'clock, saw two boats, each pulling eight oars, the men
dressed in dark clothing, with the caps usually worn by seamen of the
Northern States, pu