WAR!

On the morning of the day which witnessed my arrival in the Land of the

Rising Sun, the berth-room steward who brought me my early cup of coffee

informed me, with a broad grin of satisfaction, that we were in Sagami

Bay; that it was a beautiful morning, but very cold; and that he would

advise me to turn out at once if I desired to obtain the best possible

view of Fujiyama, or Fujisan, as the Japanese love to call it. I took

his advice, bathed and dressed with seamanlike celerity, and, donning a

thick, warm ulster, made my way to the navigating bridge, catching my

first glimpses of Japan--Shimoda, on the port, and the island of Oshima

on the starboard quarter, as I went. And when I reached the bridge and

took my stand beside Sadakiyo, the chief officer, I mentally returned

thanks to that steward for his advice, and was glad that I had acted

upon it, for the sight which met my gaze was beautiful beyond all power

of description, and such as I shall never forget.

The air was clear as crystal, there was no wind, and the water was

mirror-smooth, its surface dotted with fishing-boats, the unpainted

hulls and white sails of which floated double, with nothing to show the

junction of substance with reflection. Reflected, too, were the

serrated ridges of Awa's and Kasusa's mountain-peaks and their ravines,

dark and mysterious, with little villages of grey huts surmounted by

high-pitched roofs of thatch clustering here and there along the beach

to starboard, while, to port, dominating all else, towered high in air

the majestic, snow-crowned peak of Fujisan, its summit blushing a

delicate rosy pink in the first light of dawn. And, as I gazed, that

beautiful rosy tint suddenly changed to gold as it caught the first rays

of the rising sun, invisible to us, as yet, behind the high land to

starboard, and as speedy as thought the light flashed down the

mountain-side, revealing its matchless perfection of form, and bathing

it in the glory of a hundred varied and beautiful tints.

Moving forward at reduced speed, to avoid the destruction of a few of

the fishing-boats or junks that were ever becoming more numerous as the

land closed in upon us on either side, we at length sighted and passed a

lightship with, somewhat to my surprise, the words "Treaty Point"

painted in large letters upon her red sides. If I had thought upon the

matter at all, I should naturally have expected to see the name of the

ship set forth in, to me, unintelligible hieroglyphics, but instead,

there it was in plain homely English, and I comforted myself with the

reflection that if the Japanese used British characters and words to

distinguish their lightships, my as yet very imperfect knowledge of

their tongue was not going to handicap me as heavily as I had feared.

In due time we arrived in the roadstead of Yokohama--not so very long

ago a small fishing village, but now an important city--and made fast to

our buoy. Instantly the ship was surrounded by sampans, and the

occupants, not a few of whom were Chinese, swarmed aboard, eager to find

buyers for the fruit, _sake_, and other articles which they had for

sale. The jabber of tongues was incessant and deafening, and the

importunities of the salesmen a trifle annoying; but Nakamura quickly

sent them to the right-about, and inviting me to go up on the bridge

with him--we were staying aboard to lunch with the skipper--we amused

ourselves by watching the debarkation of the other passengers, my

companion, between whiles, pointing out the various objects of interest

visible from our standpoint.

I must confess that I was not very greatly impressed by Yokohama, as

viewed from the roadstead. The most prominent object was the "Bund," or

water-front, which is a wide wharf or esplanade, backed by gardens,

hotels, and well-built dwelling-houses. Then there is the "Bluff,"

covered with fine villas and dwelling-houses, large and small, and of

pleasing varieties of architecture; and, finally, there are the

"Settlement" and the native town, about which I need say nothing.

After luncheon, by which time all the passengers but ourselves had gone

ashore, we engaged a sampan, bade Kusumoto and the ship's officers

farewell, and landed in the English "hatoba," which is a sort of

floating basin, the shore end of which consists of landing-steps

alongside which a whole fleet of boats can be accommodated at once. A

word from Nakamura caused our baggage to be at once passed through the

Customs with only the merest pretence at examination, and then, engaging

rickshas, or "kurumas," as the Japanese call them, we wended our way to

the railway station, and took train for Tokio.

The journey of eighteen miles was performed in an hour, in an

exceedingly comfortable first-class carriage, upholstered in red

morocco; and I noticed that the guard and engine-driver of the train

were Englishmen--another good sign for me, I thought. Although the

speed of the train was nothing to boast of, I found the journey

interesting, for the scenery, with its little grey villages of thatched,

wooden houses, and the temples with their quaintly shaped roofs on the

one hand, and the sea on the other, with its islands, wooded gardens,

and hundreds of fishing-boats, with Fujisan always dominating everything

else, were all novelties to me.

The railway does not run right into the city of Tokio, but has its

terminus at the village of Shimbashi, on the outskirts; here, therefore,

we left the train and, engaging kurumas for ourselves and our baggage,

drove to the Imperial Hotel, where Nakamura advised me to take up my

quarters _pro tem_, and where he also intended to stay, that night. It

was then six o'clock in the evening, and too late to transact our

business, so, after a wash and brush-up, we sallied forth to see

something of the city.

On the following morning, at ten o'clock, I presented myself before

Vice-Admiral Baron Yamamoto, the Minister of the Navy, and handed him my

credentials. He received me with great politeness, read a private

letter from Viscount Hayashi, of which I was the bearer, asked me a good

many questions as to the length and nature of my service in the British

Navy, and my experiences therein, and finally handed me my commission as

Lieutenant, together with a letter to Admiral Togo, which I was to

deliver to him at Sasebo, without delay.

Now, Sasebo is situated on the north-western extremity of the island of

Kiushiu, and is nearer seven than six hundred miles from Tokio;

moreover, I found that during my voyage out to Japan, events had been

progressing by leaps and bounds--so far at least as Japan was concerned.

In diplomatic circles war with Russia was regarded as not only

inevitable but imminent, and preparations for the struggle were being

breathlessly pushed forward day and night. Of the evacuation of

Manchuria by Russia, which should have been _completed_ on the 8th of

the preceding October, there was still no sign; on the contrary,

everything pointed to a determination on the part of Russia to make her

occupation permanent. Actions, it is said, speak louder than words, and

while the diplomats on both sides were still engaged in an apparent

endeavour to settle matters amicably, the action of those on the Russian

side was characterised by systematic procrastination and delay which

admitted of but one interpretation, namely, that Russia had no intention

to quit Manchuria until she was compelled to do so by force.

This being the state of affairs, I interpreted Baron Yamamoto's order

literally, leaving Tokio by the first available train. This took me

back to Yokohama, where I only quitted it because I found I could

proceed no farther until nine o'clock that night. At that hour, then, I

made a fresh start and, not to dwell unduly upon this part of my story,

reached Sasebo late in the evening of 26th January, having been delayed

upon the road owing to the congestion of traffic caused by the war

preparations.

Sasebo was a very hive of activity, to such an extent indeed that I had

the greatest difficulty in finding quarters. All the hotels were packed

to their utmost limit, and indeed I do not know how I should eventually

have fared had I not luckily encountered an unmistakable Briton, whom I

halted, and to whom I confided my plight, asking if he could direct me

to some place where I could find accommodation for the night. He turned

out to be a Scotsman named Boyd, in business at Sasebo, and no sooner

had I made my situation plain to him than he took me by the arm in the

most friendly manner and exclaimed:

"Come awa' hame wi' me, laddie. I'll pit ye up wi' the greatest of

pleasure, and the gude-wife 'll be gey an' pleased to meet a body fresh

frae the auld country."

It was easy to see that the fine fellow was absolutely sincere in his

invitation; I therefore gladly accepted it, and, half an hour later,

found myself comfortably housed in the bosom of a typically hospitable

Scottish family, whom I found most delightfully genial, and from whom I

subsequently received much kindness.

By my friend Boyd's advice I sallied forth early the next morning in

search of Admiral Togo, who was of course up to his eyes in business,

and who would be difficult to find unless I could catch him before he

left his hotel. I was fortunate enough to arrive while he was still at

breakfast, and, having sent in my card, was at once admitted.

I found him still seated at the table, in company with several other

officers, all of them dressed in a naval uniform almost identical in cut

and appearance with our own. Like every other Japanese I ever met, he

received me with the utmost politeness, and, having read Baron

Yamamoto's letter of introduction, again shook hands with me most

heartily, expressed the pleasure it afforded him to welcome another

Englishman into Japan's naval service, and forthwith proceeded to

introduce me to the other officers present, one of whom, I remember, was

Captain Ijichi, of the _Mikasa_, Togo's flagship. They all spoke

English, more or less, Togo perfectly, for he had served as a boy aboard

the British training ship _Worcester_, and later in our own navy. Also

he had taken a course of study at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

He was a typical Japanese, short and thick-set, with black eyes that

seemed to pierce one through and through and read one's innermost

thoughts. His hair, beard, and moustache were black, lightly touched

here and there with grey, and though it is a little difficult to

correctly estimate the age of a Japanese, I set him down at about fifty,

which I subsequently learned was not far out.

Like Baron Yamamoto, the Admiral asked me quite a number of questions;

and at length, when he found that I had qualified for gunnery, torpedo,

and navigating duties, and had seen service in a destroyer, he said:

"You seem to have an exceptionally good record for a young man of your

years, Mr Swinburne; so good, indeed, that I feel disposed to avail

myself to the utmost possible extent of your services. I foresee that

in the coming war the destroyer is destined to play a most important

part, and while I anticipate that the service which that class of craft

will be called upon to perform will be of the most arduous description,

and of course exceedingly dangerous, it will also afford its officers

exceptional opportunities to distinguish themselves. Now, it happens

that I have one destroyer--the _Kasanumi_, one of our best boats--for

which, thus far, I have been unable to find a suitable commander; your

arrival comes therefore at a most opportune moment, for the perusal of

your record convinces me that you are the very man for whom I have been

looking. I rather flatter myself that I am a good judge of character,

and I believe that you will do as much credit to the ship as she will to

you. Now, what do you say? Will the command of a destroyer be

satisfactory to you?"

"Indeed it will, sir," I replied, "and more than satisfactory. I have

not dared to hope for such a big slice of good fortune, and I know not

how to adequately express my thanks for the confidence you are reposing

in me."

"Nay," answered Togo, "there is no need for thanks, at least in words.

You can best show your appreciation by deeds, for which I promise you

shall be afforded abundant opportunity. And now, if you are anything

like what I take you to be, you will be all anxiety to see your ship; is

it not so? Very well; you will find her in the small graving dock,

where she is being scraped and repainted. Go down and have a good look

at her, inside and out; and if you can offer any suggestions for

improvements on board, I will give them my best consideration. Do you

know your way to the docks? If not, I will find somebody to act as

guide for you."

"I am very much obliged, sir," I replied, "but I should prefer to find

my own way, if you please. I have been studying Japanese during the

passage out, and I am anxious to make the most of every opportunity to

increase my knowledge of the language."

"Good!" exclaimed Togo, in Japanese. "I believe you will do very well.

Do you understand that?" he added, in English.

"Yes, sir," I replied, in Japanese; "and I am much obliged for your good

opinion." My speech was a bit halting and my pronunciation by no means

perfect, but it was evidently intelligible, for the whole party

applauded me and shouted words of encouragement, some of which I

understood, while others puzzled me. Then, as I turned to leave the

room, the Admiral said:

"When you have had a good look at your ship, Mr Swinburne, come to me

aboard the _Mikasa_, where I shall be all the morning."

I found the docks without difficulty, and in the smaller graving dock

lay the _Kasanumi_, my first command! Seen thus, out of water, she

looked a craft of quite important dimensions, as indeed she was, being

more than two hundred feet in length. She had four funnels, the space

between the second and third being only about half that between numbers

one and two, and three and four. She had beautiful lines, and looked as

though she ought to be an excellent sea boat. Her armament consisted of

one 12-pounder, mounted aft, and five 6-pounders, all quick-fire guns

capable of discharging ten shots per minute. She also mounted on the

after-deck two 18-inch torpedo tubes, firing Whiteheads of an effective

range of eight hundred yards at a speed of thirty knots, and carrying a

charge of one hundred and seventy-one pounds of gun-cotton--enough to

destroy a battleship, if it happened to hit the right spot. The dock

foreman, who happened to be an Englishman, told me that she was British

built--a Thorneycroft boat, he believed--and that, on trial, she had

steamed as much as thirty-three knots! Here was a craft which any

reasonable man might be proud to command, and I there and then

registered a vow that it should not be my fault if she did not make a

name for herself during the coming war.

She was painted white, with a lead-colour bottom, and her four funnels

were white with black tops. But they were burning and scraping off all

her outside paint, from the sheer-strake downward, and I asked the

foreman what colour they were going to repaint her. He answered that

this had not yet been decided, whereupon I requested him to provide me

with three small pots of paint, white, black, and blue, and with these

three I compounded a smoky-grey tint of medium depth which I believed

would be practically invisible by day and quite invisible at night, and

this tint I applied to a small piece of board which I requested the

foreman to take care of for me.

Then I went aboard and had a look at the _Kasanumi's_ interior

arrangements. The engine and boiler-rooms, the torpedo room, and

magazine naturally absorbed a large proportion of the interior space,

but the accommodation for officers and crew, though a trifle cramped,

was sufficient to ensure quite a reasonable amount of comfort.

Everything of course was done to economise space, and the fittings were

all quite plain, but the cabin which would be mine was a compact, cosy,

little cubbyhole, with a tiny stove to warm it in cold weather, and I

believed I could make myself very happy and comfortable in it, although

the beams were so low that I should never be able to stand upright. The

engines were superb pieces of machinery, as of course they had need to

be, to drive the boat at a speed of thirty-three knots, and the working

parts shone like burnished silver and gold, while the rest was painted

green. I spent two hours aboard, making a few notes referring to

suggestions which I proposed to make to the Admiral, and then started

off to find the _Mikasa_.

This was not difficult, for the whole fleet--excepting one battleship

and two cruisers in dry dock--were lying off the dockyard, while the

_Mikasa_ was easily distinguishable, even to a stranger, from the fact

that she was flying the Admiral's flag. I noticed also that her

stem-head was decorated with a gilded conventional representation of the

open chrysanthemum, the Imperial crest. The Admiral was in his cabin, I

was informed, when I got aboard, but I was kept waiting nearly an hour

before I was admitted to his presence, for he was holding something very

much like a council of war with the officers of his fleet when I

arrived. But when at length--the council coming to an end--I was

ushered into the cabin, I could not avoid being surprised at the

wonderful courtesy and politeness which everybody exhibited to everybody

else, notwithstanding that they were all evidently so full of business

that they seemed scarcely to know which job to tackle first. As soon as

Togo caught sight of me he beckoned me forward and introduced me to as

many of those present as I had not already met, and, this done, he

handed me my appointment to the _Kasanumi_, and requested me to at once

take up my command. Then he asked me if I had any suggestions to make;

and upon my answering that I had, he opened a notebook which lay upon

the table, and jotted them down as I read them out to him, and promised

to give them early consideration. As I bowed myself out of the cabin he

called after me, advising me to see to the ordering of my uniforms at

once, as events were progressing rapidly, and there was no knowing how

soon it might be necessary for us all to go to sea. Stepping out on

deck, I encountered Captain Ijichi, the skipper of the ship, in earnest

converse with several of his officers, to whom he at once introduced me,

whereupon the First Lieutenant invited me to dine that night, aboard the

ship, as his guest, which invitation I naturally accepted.

A week of feverish activity now ensued, by the end of which time every

dock in Sasebo was empty, and every ship in the harbour ready, down to

the last ropeyarn, bunkers and magazines full, and even the fires laid

under the boilers ready to light at a second's notice. War was by this

time an absolute certainty, and the only question was when would it

break out. The Japanese plan of campaign was ready cut and dried, and

Togo, resolved to be in a position to act upon the instant of the

receipt of his orders, had already dispatched the cruiser _Akashi_ to

sea, with instructions to ascertain the whereabouts of the Russian fleet

and, after securing this information, to rendezvous at Mokpo, a port

situate at the south-western extremity of the Korean peninsula. I had

said farewell to my very kind friends, the Boyds, some days before, and

had taken up my abode aboard the _Kasanumi_, which, with the _Asashio,

Shirakumo_, and _Akatsuki_, constituted the 1st Division of the

destroyer flotilla. Admiral Togo had approved my suggestion to paint

the entire exterior of the boat a medium smoky-grey tint, and the effect

had proved so satisfactory that the skippers of several other destroyers

had followed my example.

At length dawned the eventful 6th of February 1904. A fresh

north-easter was blowing, the sky was heavy and louring, and a fierce

squall of snow and sleet was sweeping the harbour when a gun from the

_Mikasa_ caused all eyes to turn toward her, and the next moment there

fluttered from her yardarms the signals commanding the fleet to light

fires and prepare to weigh! So it had come then, that fateful moment

for which we had all been waiting with bated breath, for a full week;

and as the purport of the signals became known, a frenzied roar of

"Banzai Nippon!" went up from ships and shore, a roar that sent a shiver

of excitement thrilling through me, so deep, so intense, so indicative

of indomitable determination, of courage, and of intense patriotism was

it. Peal after peal of "Banzais" swept over the sullen, turbulent

waters of the harbour, to be taken up and repeated by the thousands who

thronged the wharves ashore, and who seemed to have sprung from nowhere

in an instant; and before the shouts died away thin curls of light brown

smoke were already rising from the funnels of the fleet and six fast

transport steamers which were lying a little nearer the shore. Half an

hour later, the blare of bands was heard ashore, one of the wharves was

hurriedly cleared of people, and presently soldiers were seen marching

down on to that wharf and aboard a whole fleet of lighters that were

lying alongside. It was indicative of the thoroughness with which the

Japanese authorities had thought out every minutest detail, that within

three hours, three thousand troops, horse, foot, and artillery, with all

their kit and camp equipment complete, were transferred from the shore

to the transports, and the latter had signalled that they were ready to

get under way.

It was not, however, until shortly before two o'clock in the afternoon

that the signal was made for the fleet to weigh and proceed to sea, by

which time every ship was under a full head of steam; and then the

fleet, which up to then had lain quiescent, burst into strenuous but

orderly activity. Officers on the several bridges seized megaphones and

shouted orders through them; boatswain's whistles shrilled and

boatswain's lungs bellowed, "Clear lower deck! Hands up anchor, ahoy!"

the massive cables began to quiver and clank as they were hove in; the

flagship became a very rainbow of rapidly changing signal flags;

answering pennants appeared like magic and vanished again; hundreds of

sampans and craft of every description--anything and everything that

would float, apparently--loaded with men and women, all frantic with

patriotic excitement, put off from the shore and formed a sort of lane

for the fleet to steam through, the men yelling "Banzai!" until it

seemed as though their throats would crack, while the women--many of

whom were very pretty, while all looked charmingly demure--urged the

boatmen to pull in as close as possible to the ships, that they might

strew with artificial flowers the water through which we were about to

pass. The military bands aboard the transports were playing what I

supposed to be patriotic airs, from the applause which they evoked,

steam was roaring from the safety valves, fussy little tugs were rushing

hither and thither, and at the precise moment when the water under the

_Mikasa's_ counter broke into a sudden swirl and the ship began to move,

a transient gleam of wintry sunshine burst through the clouds and fell

full upon her! It was the finishing touch; everybody unquestioningly

accepted it as an omen of victory and triumph, and the thousands afloat

and ashore incontinently went mad with joy. And indeed there was every

excuse for so much enthusiasm, for we presented a truly imposing sight

as we swept out to sea, a fleet consisting of six battleships, six

armoured cruisers, four 23-knot light cruisers, six protected cruisers,

and eighteen destroyers, surrounding the six transports. The primary

object of the expedition was to escort the transports to Chemulpo, where

the troops were to be landed to effect the seizure of Seoul, the capital

of Korea; and, this accomplished, Togo was to find and defeat the

Russian fleet, which, so long as it existed and was free to roam the

seas, constituted a most formidable menace to Japan.

Twelve knots was the steaming speed ordered for the fleet; and the

course was due west for the passage between the islands of Gotoshima and

Ukushima. As soon as we were clear of the harbour the destroyers, in

five divisions, were ordered to take up scouting duty, which we did by

arranging ourselves in a complete circle round the fleet, the boats

being about a mile apart, thus forming a circle of eighteen miles in

circumference.

The weather was vile, for after that transient gleam of sunshine which

had marked the moment of our departure, the clouds had closed over us

again in a compact mass, and pelted us with sleet and snow so thickly

that it was only with the utmost difficulty we were able to see the next

boat ahead and astern; also it was so piercingly cold that even the long

lamb's-wool coat, with which I had taken the precaution to provide

myself, seemed utterly inadequate. Fortunately, excitement and the joy

of finding myself not only once more under a pennant but actually in

command, with a war before me in which I felt convinced I should have

ample opportunity to prove my mettle, helped to keep me warm. And there

was pride, too; pride in my ship and pride in my crew; for there was not

a better or faster little ship in the fleet than the _Kasanumi_, while

my crew, officers, and men alike, were splendid fellows, fine sturdy

men, with the courage of lions, the lithe, light-footed activity of

cats, and respectfully and promptly obedient to an extent which left

nothing to be desired. My "sub," a merry, light-hearted little fellow,

named Ito, although more than a year my senior, displayed not an atom of

jealousy, but carried out my every order with the same prompt,

unquestioning alacrity as the men; he was keen as mustard, and his

chief, indeed his only, recreation seemed to be the working out of

battle problems.

For the first four hours of our voyage, while we were still well under

the lee of the land, the water was moderately smooth; but when, about

seven o'clock that evening, the negotiation of the passage between the

islands had been successfully accomplished, and we found ourselves

fairly out at sea, and shifted our helms to pass to the northward of

Quelpart Island, we soon found that we were in for a regular "dusting."

For we presently ran into a high, steep sea, which our shift of helm

brought almost square abeam, yet just enough on our starboard quarter to

set us all rolling and squirming most atrociously, particularly the

"mosquito" division. Our every roll, whether to port or starboard, sent

us gunwale under, so that it was only with the utmost difficulty we

managed to retain our footing, while more than half my complement, on

deck as well as below, suffered agonies of sea-sickness; yet they stuck

to their work like heroes. The spray swept us continually from end to

end, flying high over the tops of our low funnels, and freezing as it

fell, so that the watch on deck were kept busy chipping the ice off our

decks and shovelling it overboard; yet, wretchedly uncomfortable as was

the weather, the destroyers, running at less than half-speed, rode the

sea like gulls, and kept station with the utmost ease.

Shortly after eight bells in the middle watch, the weather cleared and

the stars shone out with piercing brilliancy, enabling us to see the

whole of the big ships and the transports, although we were all steaming

with lights out, except for a solitary shrouded lantern carried by each

ship right aft, to enable her next astern to keep station.

The night passed without incident, but shortly after sunrise, smoke was

sighted broad on our port bow, the ship from which it proceeded

evidently steering to the northward. We all seemed to see it at the

same instant, for in less than half a minute the signal reporting the

circumstance was flying aboard nearly every craft in the fleet. But the

lookouts aboard the _Mikasa_ were evidently as wide awake as any of us,

for our flags were scarcely aloft when the flagship signalled the

armoured cruiser _Asama_ to chase in the south-western board; and in

little more than an hour afterward she rejoined the fleet, accompanied

by the Russian steamer _Argun_, as a prize. We flattered ourselves that

the honour of capturing the first prize of the war had fallen to us;

but, later on, we learned, to our disgust, that when the _Argun_ was

taken into Sasebo, there were already three more prizes there to keep

her company.

We arrived off Mokpo about ten o'clock that morning, when the _Akashi_

came out to meet us and make her report. We of the rank and file, so to

speak, did not, of course, know at the time what was the nature of that

report, which was for the Admiral's ear alone; but, later on, it leaked

out that it was to the effect that the Russian fleet at Port Arthur had

begun to move on the last day of January, by warping and towing certain

of the ships out of harbour. This movement had continued on the first

and second days of February, by the end of which time the entire fleet

was anchored in the roadstead; and it seemed pretty evident that Admiral

Alexieff was preparing to vigorously carry the war into the enemy's

country, which was the great fear that had been haunting Togo from the

moment when he received his instructions to put to sea. His dread was

that the Russian fleet would forestall him by getting to sea first,

steam to the southward, and, getting into touch with one or more of the

craft which were certain to be watching the Japanese fleet, would lie

_perdu_ until that fleet had passed to the northward, and then fall upon

and ravage the unprotected Japanese coast. And, at first sight, this

seemed to be the Russian Admiral's intention, for, on the 4th of

February, the fleet, having coaled, weighed and steamed out to sea,

leaving only two battleships--the _Sevastopol_ and _Peresviet_--in the

harbour, where they had perversely stuck on the mud and refused to be

got afloat again, for the moment at least. The Russians, twenty-six

ships strong, inclusive of eleven destroyers, having cleared the

roadstead, steamed slowly to the eastward, and were, that same day,

sighted in the offing from Wei-hai-wei, apparently practising

evolutions. But on the following day they all returned to Port Arthur,

and anchored in the roadstead, under the guns of the batteries. The

pith of the _Akashi's_ report, therefore, was that there were two

Russian ships--the new cruiser _Variag_, and the gunboat _Korietz_--at

Chemulpo, four cruisers and an armed merchantman at Vladivostock, while

the remainder of the Russian fleet was at Port Arthur.

Possessed of this knowledge, Togo issued orders to Rear-Admiral Uriu, in

the _Takachiho_, to take command of a squadron consisting of, in

addition to his own ship, the _Asatna_, _Chiyoda_, _Niitaka_, and

_Miyako_, with eight destroyers, and with them to convoy the transports

to Chemulpo, taking measures upon his arrival, to insure that the

Russian ships should not interfere with the landing of the troops.

Those were the only orders of which we were aware, but in the light of

what occurred after Uriu's arrival at Chemulpo, it is probable that the

Vice-Admiral was given a considerable amount of latitude with regard to

his further proceedings.

It was about seven o'clock in the evening when the two fleets parted

company, the _Mikasa_ signalling: "I congratulate you in anticipation of

your success," to which the _Takachiho_ replied: "Thanks for your

kindness." Then the signal was given by wireless for the main fleet to

proceed on a north-westerly course, in an extended formation of line

abreast, with the destroyers scouting on both wings, and a great shout

of "Banzai Nippon!" went up, for everybody knew that north-west was the

road to Port Arthur, where Togo fervently hoped and prayed he might find

the Russian fleet still at anchor.

For, if not, it would certainly mean that Alexieff had proved himself

the better strategist of the two, and had contrived in some subtle

manner to slip past us to the westward, when any one or two of three

terrible things might happen. He might realise Togo's original terrible

fear of an attack on the undefended coast of Japan; or he might make for

Chemulpo and destroy the Japanese squadron and transports upon their

arrival there; or he might pass through the Korean Strait northward to

Vladivostock and there unite his two forces, when he would be strong

enough to give no end of trouble, if not indeed to defeat us out of hand

and so decide the war at one fell stroke. It was exceedingly difficult

to know what to do for the best, and our gallant little Admiral felt to

the full the responsibility attaching to his momentous decision, as was

made manifest when, about two bells in the first watch, the order was

wirelessed to the fleet to alter the course twenty-two degrees to the

northward, evidently with the object of falling in with the Russians,

should they by any chance be making for Chemulpo. Our next order was to

clear for action.

To further increase our difficulties and embarrassments, the weather had

again changed for the worse. The sun had set in a wrack of wild,

storm-riven cloud painted with the hues of fire and smoke, which,

louring threateningly, had overspread the sky with incredible rapidity,

completely obscuring the light of the stars; the wind, still icy cold,

had breezed up again savagely, kicking up a tremendous sea, the spray

from which quickly drenched us in the destroyers to the skin, despite

our "oilies," sou'-westers, and sea boots; yet the staunch little

vessels, though rolling and pitching in the most distracting manner,

rode like gulls the seas which, to us, seemed to be literally running

"mountains high." True, our speed was only about twelve knots; what the

_Kasanumi's_ behaviour would probably have been at double that speed, in

such a sea, I shuddered to think. But I was destined to _know_, in the

not-far-distant future.

When Ito, my lieutenant, called me at midnight to relieve him, he

informed me that a wireless message had just been received from the

flagship, ordering a shift of helm for the Elliot group of islands,

distant some sixty miles from Port Arthur, and for the speed to be

increased to sixteen knots, which order he had acknowledged and

executed, as I discovered, the moment I tumbled out of my hammock; for

the boat was kicking up her heels more madly than ever, while every few

seconds there resounded a heavy thud on the deck overhead, and the craft

shivered from stem to stern as she drove her sharp nose into the heart

of a great comber, throwing the water in tons over herself. This was

the rough side of work aboard a destroyer, with a vengeance, and I spent

four miserable hours on the navigating bridge, drenched to the skin, and

pierced to the marrow by the bitter cold. All things come to an end,

however, sooner or later; and about two o'clock next day we steamed into

the sheltered waters of the Elliot Islands and came to an anchor. This

was the spot which the Admiral had selected to serve as a rendezvous and

lurking-place from which he could sally forth with a good chance of

cutting off the Port Arthur fleet, should it venture to stray far from

the shelter of the fortress; and subsequently it was often referred to

in his dispatches as "a certain place."