7th March, Sweeping the sea within a radius of sixty miles from Port Arthur, the Russian scouts, we were assured the other day, had been unable to discover any signs of Admiral Togo's fleet. At this very time, however, the Providence was being overhauled by a Japanese torpedo-boat close to Port Arthur, with seven other Japanese vessels in sight. The explanation cis easy if the defenders of Port Arthur would only believe the reports circulated by themselves and their official friends. Take for instance the now famous bombardment of the 9th Februsry, which has been popularly supposed a' Japanese victory and on the strength of which, at all events the Japanese have been holding command of the sea ever since. The interesting details" which we printed on Saturday, tell us that " the precision of the fire of the Russian forts was remarkable in less than half-an-hour, the armoured cruiser Iwate was struck ten times and the other vessels were hit in the same proportion." If the last clause means anything it must mean that the other five cruisers in Admiral Togo's squadron received at least ten shells each and the battleships—to receive their " proportion "—must have been more seriously battered. If only the correspondent at Nagasaki hed made his details" a little more explicit, he would have owned up at once to the fact that the whole fleet is under repair—and thus have saved any further anxiety on the. part of those who have been looking for it somewhere in the neighbourhood of the Shantung promontory. Seeing that the "Novi Kral" had information some time ago that the Japanese had six vessels. damaged and lost 150 in killed and wounded, it is strange the Russian Admiral was not permitted to follow up his victory.
Tt is not n to set off against, these rather belated particulars the official records of Admiral Togo—who would! naturally be disposed to minimise hie losses—nor the fact that with his shattered remnant he has made two subsequent assaults on the Russian stronghold. But it is interesting to recall the statement of two eye-witnessea of the engagement, which statement have already appeared in our columns. Captain Gray, who was particularly, advantageously pieced, and whose general description of the engagement, has since been borne out in almost every parti-nek sailed right along the front of the fleet cular, states: "'The Japanese fleet having and harbour made off, still in line, to-fa] Wards the South. So far as could be soon they had themselves sustained little or no damage." And the other eyewitness in a more formal account, which was not originally intended for publication, says:—" At 11.45 the action had practically ceased, as the Japanesq ship inher own place, and steamed across the Russian front, the cruisers then leading, with the armoured cruisers next and the battleships bringing up the rear. We saw nothing to lead us to suppose that they were badly damaged, and they left in the same perfect order as they came."
We may add to these extracts, the following from a private letter written by one who was a passenger on the ©. E. and M. S. Fuping on her eventful passage out from Port Arthur on the 10th February." He writes: " Information was very hard to get in Port Arthur, but I should say from my own observation that one Russian battleship is disabled for the whole war, another one for many months, and a orniser for some weeks. All the shop hands, chiefly Cantonese, bolted, so that they'll have to re-man their shops with Russians before any repairs can be effected."
All this is, however, ancient history. To which ever side victory belonged the Japanese have enjoyed the fruits of it, The sphere of interest is now transferred from sea to land, from the Liaotung peninsula to Manchuria and Corea. For in spite of General Fing's apprehensions of a land attack on Port Arthur, the Japanese are far more likely to attempt the e: task of isolating the citadel than of storming it. The General's report telegraphed back from London that "2,500 Japanese without artillery have Janded at Sengchin in Plaksin Bay, and are marching on Maoerhshan in Southern Manchuria, and Port Arthur" is not very clear. Thereis aSengohing on thenorthwost coast of Corea, but troops would hardly be landed there if their destination wore Port Arthur, in Bay is more likely north of Viadivostock, which an attack is at least possible. Maoerhshan is an important place situated a long way up the Yalu.
One of the telegrams we print this morning indicates that the Russians have practically abandoned Corea, at all events for the present, and are not going to contest the passage of the Yalu after all. This policy of running away, has been successful on previous occasions; if carried out now it will certainly postpone serious fighting for some time. But the Japanese have shown that they have original ideas about warfare, as well as about dealing with war correspondents.
A reliable correspondent sends the interesting news that the whole of the rolling stock from the Shanhaikuan-Yinkou line has been brought within the Wall, so that the Russians will find a bare line only when they come that way. From this our correspondent infers that the Chinese, in connection with their northern railway system, are going to profit by their last experience with the Russians. Apart from this, the writer expresses the opinion that "the Japs will provide all the entertainment the Russians are capable of enjoying for some time:
The Tientsin papers have several interesting items which have not travelled South before. 'The China Times' correspondent at Yinkou denies the trath of the report of the frustrated attempt to blow up the Sungari railway bridge and the hanging of three Japanese officers, The statement was circulated by the Russians to impress the Chinese.
The " P. and T. Times" has the following statement by the survivors of the steamer Jinsen, one of the five sunk in the attempt to block the harbour entrance at Port Arthur. "The Jinsen and Bushu were both sunk near the entrance to Port
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.