Takeshiki, on the island of Tsushima, is the advanced coaling station
of Japan. There are two approaches, on the west and on the south-east,
but only the first is possible to big ships. In the centre of the
western entrance is a large shoal, three and a half fathoms below
low-water mark, leaving very deep channels close inshore on either
side. As the whole entrance is only some two thousand yards wide,
flanked by high hills, it will be seen that it is impregnable. Inside
is a large and very deep harbour, where the whole Japanese Fleet could
lie.
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The coaling station of Takeshiki lies six miles from the entrance
by water, and five as the crow flies. It is, however, only some
three thousand five hundred yards from a fourteen-fathom bay on the
south-east, and so susceptible to a long-range bombardment from this
quarter. It is to be bombarded also from several other east-coast
inlets.
The port is very strongly fortified with Canet 9.4’s on disappearing
mountings.