Vice-Admiral Misu, hitherto attached so. the First Squadron, has been appointed commander of the Second Squadron, and Rear-Admiral Nashilia, of the First Squadron, is transferred to command the Port Arthur squadron, Rear-Admiral Shimamura, hitherto Chief of Staff of the Combined Squadron, is now attached to the Second Squadron, and replaced by Rear-Admiral Kato." The latter has beau replaced by Captain Fujii, commander of the Azuma, as chief of staff of the Second Squadron. Captain Saito hus been made chief of staff of the Third Squadron. Renr-Admiral Ogora is commanding a special squadron sailing westward.
The Condition of Viadivostock.
Now that Port Arthur has fallen, it is evident that Russia is endeavouring to strengthen the defences of Viadivostock, the only Russian port in Enst." To accomplish this, it is i tive for her to transport munitions of war and provisions to that port. But the traffic on the overland route is so impossible to depend on this line as the sy € means of tra: sport, and this fact has compelled thy Russians: to resort tu the sea route. Ser 1 dozen transport s carrying war materials, have consequently been dispatched to Viadiveatock. T! majority of these vessels have, however, been cxptued by Japsnexe men-of-war and the effect must be sh-rtly felt by the garrison at Viadivo-tock. The patrolling svatem in the Tsushimia Scrait, aswell asthe Hokkaido direction is now inyewt than ever, Unler the stances, the repairs to the Kossin and Gromohoi have not yet been satisfactorily effected, +o that they are Sill unfit for a long voyage.
The Merchantmen and the War, In connection with the above, it. is interesting to note that the steamers captured by the Japsneso since the out. break of the war are as follows
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.