alternatehistory.com

18 July

The news of the proposed conference arrives in the Americas. The reaction of Congress to the proposal is not overall positive - they agree that the Spanish location would be preferable, but object that the overall weighting of the conference is too pro-British and anti-Union as the Spanish are known to be anti-Union.

Based on State Department memos, they propose a third mediator to be added to the conference - Prussia. It will take another eight or nine days for this message to cross the Atlantic - one of the downsides of the width of the ocean.

The Confederacy are informed of these proposed changes, and see little problem with them. They (perhaps falsely) consider Prussia to be potentially sympathetic.

21 July

HMS Lion arrives at Hawai'i. The sight of such a huge ship - intended to be a largely permanent resident, as well, not simply a visitor - is quite an impressive one to the locals. She fires a 21-gun salute, which in the slightly involved metrics of the British Empire on the matter is about as high as it will get without being directly related to Victoria.
Once the formalities are over, the work begins. Both transports begin unloading, with the engineers heading up to pick positions for their four 68-lber guns - as well as the dozens that will follow - and the infantry battalion disembarking to take up their new garrison duties (one of which is introducing the local royal guard to the wonders of Hythe-style training).

22 July

A ship is stopped from sailing up the Delaware river, as it is breaking blockade by doing so - the blockade will not be lifted until the peace treaty. It has a cargo which includes fifty tons of gunpowder, which is contraband, and is sailed (somewhat gingerly!) to Bermuda for condemnation.