Wo saw with no small delight that we commanded a decided advantage in speed, just as we had expected. Wo could therefore determine at what point we should fight and in what manner. At high speed the flagship led the fi across the path of ti And the two contending fleets described the letter TT with a curved roof. was about five minutes after two and the distance between the fleets was about thirteen or fourteen thousand metres. I saw a dainty ball of cotton belch from the barbette of the flagship of the enemy. Like the Chinese in the Battle of the Yellow Soa of ton years ago, the Russians opened the "ball." We did not reply. The Russian shells fall far short, Always the Mikasa led the floot athwart the path of the Russians, Our gunners were ready; it is not strictly correct to say that they wore impatient. They knew that their officers knew better than they the time when to fire, Moreover, there were before the eyes of all of us objects which were very interesting and which had been carrying all the eyes of the work now for many months, and had brought and centred them to the Corean Straits over half the world. None might gainsay the splendour of that stately array of the Russians. Looking upon them, I for one could see very well how it was that Russia dreamed of a day when through them she should once again be the mistress of the Far Eastern waters, Then the fitting word was spoken; our gunners received the order.
Man instant a thousand thunders fell upon the parlour of the se Our superior speed c: the front of the advancing Russian line of battle, and as we steamed we concentrated our fire upon the Russian leader. Assoon as we found ourselves across the front of the Russians and over to the starboard of the hostile line the Mikasa signalled to form the line in reverse order, and every ship turned sharply to port through 180 degrees, and so completely reversing the order of ships and the direction of the fleet. This brought the guns of our Jarboard broadside to the enemy. It-was not altogether an unkindly turn, this manure. To our gumers in the starboard quarters, who hind kept open the floodgate of hell upon the deyored and heroic heads of the Russians for some time, ib brought a few moments of grateful rest. And once again we rode back the way we came across the path of Russian progress, The movement was repeated a thing made me turn my eyes to the ships of our fleet. They were keeping their stations beautifully. With their' trains of smoke trailing far to the lee, curling here and there, and describing without a shadow of effort a thousand curves of grace and then finally vanishing away, they composed a picture at which I could not suppress the heavings of my breast. I could not see how on earth the Russians could find it in their hearts to deny them the merited title of the Mistress of the Three Seas.
'THE CUMAX OF THE BATTLE, By three o'clock in the afternoon the battle was waxing to its climax; our steel seed which we had sown with lavish gon-ersity began to bring forth the fruits. Tt was just about this time that two squadrons of our fleet detached the: selves from the main line and appeared in the fog which was closing in, They were not lost from view very long. When they reappeared they were upon the roar of the hostile ships. The enemy was bagged—bagged as a st helpless rat in a trap. And looking back—for although I have little of foresight, I am always proud of my hindsight—I am inclined to think that fate, whom some of usin our black moments mistake for a football, and who is unquestionably wise, began to strike the hour which was to settle many things, among others the future of Asia, the doom of Russia's sea poworlupou the Pacific, and a new day for the peace of the Far East, The confusion among the Russian ships increased; so also the rigour of the savage fire we maintained upon them. After three hours of fighting—that is to Ly, a little past five o'clock in the evening—I saw Russian ship with one smokestack lose the freedom of motion and stagger drunkenly to the rear. She was vomiting a huge column of white smoke, evidently disabled. The constant pressure upon the head of the Russian line was telling upon the hostile ships, and the enemy changed their course, heading west, leaving the unhappy ship to, the merey of our concentrated fire.
DEADLY JAVANESE FIRE, One of the heavy shots struck her mast, and you will be surprised how light a heavy military mast is sometimes. Like feather in " storm it flew into the sea, Soon the fire mantled her completely; the sounds of many explosions reached us even above the din of our own guns. Grada: lly and finally wrapt in her funeral sheet of smoke and fire, the hapless ship began to Fist. The first victim of the battle. And it was the pitiful sight of her that brought the shout of Banzai which broke the human silence aboard the Mikasa, We left the duty of coup de grice to the Chitose and destroyers. About thirty minutes after that we saw the chip disappear with one nat explosion. Even as the sea,. which floats the cross of St. George and the Sun-round flag with equal amiableness, was adding another skeleton to her closet, we saw drop to the rear two other Russian ships, both in a sad plight. And they found themselves within two thousand metres of the Mikass as we steamed away from the last victim. And the prompt manner in which the heary guns of our battleship squadron turned their fire upon the two ships made you think of a snow-covered plain of the north and a ack of wolves on a horse which had lost is way. I noticed especially the fearful work which our twelve-inch guns and the ten-inch shells from the Nis: in wrought upon the two Rassians. Within less than ten minutes one of them was on fire, fore and aft. Without even so much as groan she took all we could give her, number of times, At one time some-! but not for very long, Like a man sho} ' greatest naval action in history, through the heart, I saw her pitch forward and dive rapidly, bow first. Very soon her stern was high out in the air. 1 shall never forget the ghastly pose it struck against the grey of the fog and the white of the angry soa, with her propeller marking a sort of funeral cross. Turning almost completely over, she went down,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.