brief refuge to the upper air
by their unseen but relentless enemies below. Drill and exercise were
now the order of the day during the hours of light, and as the sun set
and the tropic night came rushing swiftly up over the yet glowing sky,
chessboards and backgammon-boards were brought out, and discussions,
social, political, and literary, divided the long hours of inaction with
the yarn and the song, and other mild but not ineffectual distractions
of life at sea.

Still it was with feelings of no small satisfaction that "green water"
was again reached, and the Sumter found herself within about ninety
miles of the (Dutch) Guiana coast. Hopes were now entertained of soon
reaching Maranham, but the next day showed them to be fallacious. A
strong northerly current had set in, and, in addition to this drawback,
it was discovered that the defalcations of the Port of Spain coal
merchants were more serious than had been supposed, and there was not
sufficient fuel left for the run. Next day matters were worse rather
than better. The northerly current was running at the extraordinary rate
of sixty miles in the twenty-four hours, a speed equal to that of the
Gulf Stream in its narrowest part. Only three days' fuel remained, and
making allowance for the northerly set, there were fully 550 miles to be
accomplished before Maranham could be reached.

Still the Sumter held patiently on her course in hopes of a change; but
no change came. Wind and current were as hostile as ever, and the
observations of the 11th August giving lat. 2 deg. 38' N., long. 47 deg. 48' W.,
the question of the voyage to Maranham, or even to Para, appeared
definitely settled, and letting his fires go down, Captain Semmes put up
his helm, made all sail, and stood away on a N.W. course, hoping to find
a fresh supply of coal at some of the ports of Guiana under his lee.

The afternoon of that day saw the sky clear, the sea almost calm, and
the little Sumter, rolling along on the long, lazy swell, with all her
starboard studding-sails set, at about three or four knots an hour,
towards Cape Orange, from which point it was intended to make her way
into Cayenne.

Here she arrived on the 15th August, but her hopes were again doomed to
disappointment. On coming to anchor, officers were at once despatched
with the usual complimentary messages to the Governor, and a request to
be informed whether the vessel could be supplied with coal. These
officers, however, were