Tuesday, August 27.—Morning cloudy, clearing as the day advanced. Got sights for my chronometers, which gave me satisfactory results. Still coaling and watering. We hear a report that there are two ships of war off the entrance, keeping themselves out of sight, hoping to waylay us. A fisherman is said to have supplied one of them with fish. He also reports them to have sent in for water to one of the seacoast plantations. We shall be ready for sea in a couple of days, when we will verify this report. The codfish and cheese community, with the Yankee consul who has the negro wife at their head, has been in a great stew ever since we have been here, endeavoring to frustrate our coaling by carrying on the big business of buying off lighters, etc. The nightly gatherings of skippers and small shopkeepers must keep the little town of Paramaribo in an unwonted state of excitement. The governor sends me to-day a “clean bill of health” by way of a sort of leave-taking. Poor man, he would no doubt be glad to have me go, that he may get rid of the awful responsibility reposed upon him and his company of soldiers by my presence here. Evening breezeless and warm, inviting those pestiferous little insects, the mosquitoes, to board us. We have rumors of a battle having been fought at Manassas (in a private letter from Demerara) and of our having driven back the Northern hordes. As this news comes through the enemy’s own channels, he must be badly beaten.
Extracts from the journal of Commander Semmes, C.S. Navy, commanding C.S.S. Sumter
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