marked upon it; also it was "contoured"--that is to say, it was covered
all over with wavy lines, each of which represented a definite height
above sea-level. With such a map before me it was of course the easiest
matter imaginable to determine the position of all the most salient
points of the landscape, of which there were several, and--assuming the
map to be correctly drawn--to measure the distances of these from one
another.

With such a bountiful fund of at least approximately accurate
information for a starting-point it was a simple matter for me to fix
upon a number of points in the bay--as many as I chose, in fact--which
could be clearly indicated by buoys bearing different coloured flags,
the positions of which could be accurately determined by cross bearings;
and my plan was, first to lay down these buoys and determine their
positions, and then mark them on maps, a copy of which would be handed
to each captain, from which, by the employment of a scale and a pair of
dividers, he could immediately measure off with precision the exact
range of any object desired.

Having at length arranged my scheme on the map to my liking, I proceeded
with it aboard the _Mikasa_, and submitted it to the Admiral, who, with
Captain Ijichi, the Commander, and several of the officers of the ship,
examined it with the utmost interest, asking me several questions in
connection with it. When I had fully explained the scheme, they all
agreed that it was an admirable idea, and would undoubtedly be of the
utmost value--_if_ it could only be carried out. Togo was of opinion
that it could not; I, on the contrary, was convinced that it could; and
at length I managed to get the Admiral's somewhat reluctant consent to
make the experiment.

Armed with this, I went ashore and, making my way to the carpenter's
shop which formed part of our shore establishment among the islands,
ordered a certain number of small triangular rafts to be made, of a size
just sufficient to support a bamboo staff ten feet long, to the top of
which a flag six feet long by three feet wide was to be firmly lashed,
the flags to be of different colours, arranged in pairs. The rafts were
constructed merely of rough timber stoutly nailed together, while the
flags, being only required to last a day or two, as we hoped, were made
of coloured calico, the edges turned over and hemmed with a
sewing-machine, that they might not fray or tear. A couple of hours'
work suffice