Thursday, August 15.—During the past night made the Great Constable, a small island off the coast some 40 miles to the eastward of Cayenne. Anchored at midnight in 141 fathoms water, the island bearing west, distant about 6 miles. At daylight this morning, after waiting for the passage of a rain squall, we got underway and stood outside of the Constable to avoid a shoal some 4 miles to the N. N. W. In the afternoon the breeze freshened finely, and we ran up to the Remire Islets, where we took on board a pilot from a French lugger that was waiting for us, and ran in and anchored to the northward of the Child [Enfant Perdu]in 31 fathoms. We have thus finely accomplished what I feared two days ago the currents and the calms would render impossible. The approach to Cayenne is pretty, the island being picturesque. The batteries at the town fired an evening salute as we came to anchor, in honor of the birth of Napoleon, this being the 15th day of August.
Extracts from the journal of Commander Semmes, C.S. Navy, commanding C.S.S. Sumter
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