While at Cienfuegos, Wilkes heard of the arrival of the _Theodora_ on the north coast, and made haste ineffectually to reach Havana to intercept her. But while he failed to catch the _Theodora_ he learned at Havana that the Confederate envoys were to sail in the Royal mail line steamer _Trent_ for the island of St. Thomas, where, in the regular course of the line’s business, they would be transferred to a steamer bound to England. Having failed to learn when the _Trent_ would sail--failed because of “the notorious action of her British Majesty’s subjects in doing everything to aid and abet the escape of these four persons”--Wilkes went to “where the old Bahama Channel contracts to the width of fifteen miles, some 240 miles from Havana, and in sight of the Paredon del Grande lighthouse.” The _Trent_ must pass through that neck of water, and “at 11.40 on the 8th her smoke was seen.” “We were all prepared for her, beat to quarters, and orders were given to Lieut. D. M. Fairfax to have two boats manned and armed to board her and make Messrs. Slidell, Mason, Eustis, and McFarland prisoners, and send them on board.” Eustis and McFarland were the secretaries. “The steamer approached and hoisted English colors, our ensign was hoisted, and a shot was fired across her bow; she maintained her speed and showed no disposition to heave to; then a shell was fired across her bow, which brought her to. I hailed that I intended to send a boat on board, and Lieutenant Fairfax, with the second cutter of this ship, was despatched.” The quotations are from official reports. On arriving beside the _Trent_, Fairfax went on board alone, “leaving two officers in the boat with orders to wait until it became necessary to show some force.” He met the captain on the quarter-deck and asked “to see the passenger list,” but “he declined letting me see it.” Fairfax then said he had learned that the Confederate envoys were on board, and should satisfy himself “whether they were on board before allowing the steamer to proceed.”