d to complete my small requisition, with which I returned to
the _Kasanumi_.

It was within half an hour of sunset when I got aboard with my boatload
of miscellaneous paraphernalia; and as the torpedo flotilla always kept
steam while at the Elliots, excepting when it became necessary to clean
flues or boilers, we at once got our anchor and proceeded to sea at a
speed of twenty knots. I was bound round to Kinchau Bay, the distance
of which from the Elliot group, by sea, was about one hundred and
thirteen sea miles; I therefore reckoned on arriving at my destination
about midnight, which would suit me admirably. The moon was in her
third quarter, and was due to rise, that night, at a few minutes after
one o'clock, which would also suit me excellently.

For a wonder, the night was fine, with a light air out from about
south-east; there was no sea, and not much swell, and as the destroyer
was running well within herself, we went along quite easily and
comfortably, and I seized the opportunity to snatch a few hours' sleep,
leaving the navigation of the boat to my chief officer, who was quite
equal to the task.

The trip was uneventful, and at midnight Lieutenant Hiraoka aroused me
with the intimation that we were standing into Kinchau Bay, and were
already near enough to the land to enable the watch-fires on the hills
to be made out; I accordingly turned out and went on deck to take a look
round. I had studied my maps so exhaustively that, dark though the
night was, I was able without difficulty to identify the various heights
in sight, of which Mount Sampson was by far the most conspicuous; the
general appearance of the land, indeed, was remarkably like what I had
already mentally pictured it to be, and I seemed to be gazing on quite
familiar ground. We were of course running without lights, and there
was hardly a ghost of a chance of our being seen, but I eagerly searched
the bay for craft, and was gratified to find that it was empty.

But if there were no craft, there might be a good many mines; therefore
in order to avoid all possible risk we crossed the bay to its northern
shore, keeping well out, and then, going dead slow and feeling our way
with the lead, we hugged the northern shore line as closely as the depth
of water would permit, until we arrived abreast a little indentation, or
cove, when the engines were stopped, the boat lowered, and, with my
revolvers in my belt, but no sword, a pocketful of cartridges