y two
destroyers only, the _Beztraschni_ and the _Storozhevoi_, the latter of
which we had seen go down a few minutes before as a result of injuries
inflicted upon her by our 12-pounder, the shell from which had not only
blown a great rent in her bottom, as it burst, but the fragments of
which had pierced two of her boilers.

It was evident that we had made a capture of considerable importance, I
therefore proceeded on board the prize, with an armed reinforcement, and
after going carefully into the matter with Hiraoka, arranged with him to
take the _Vashka_ to the Elliots, in charge of a prize crew, there to
act according to the Admiral's orders.

This matter arranged, I returned to the _Kasanumi_, and we resumed our
voyage while the prize headed away south-west, on her way round to the
Elliot Islands. We now had leisure to look into the extent of our own
injuries. These, it proved, were by no means so serious as might have
been expected, having regard to the fierceness and closeness of the
fight. Our casualties amounted to two killed and five wounded, one of
them seriously; while the top of the aftermost of our midship pair of
funnels had been blown away, the rail of the navigating bridge smashed
and doubled up in a most astonishing way, the pilot-house roof torn off,
our topsides pierced in no less than five places, and a very pretty
general average made of my cabin, in which a shell had evidently burst.
Luckily, none of these injuries seriously affected the craft's safety,
while most of them could be at least temporarily patched-up in a few
hours; also, very luckily, all the navigating instruments, the
chronometer, my sextant, the nautical almanac, and my book of
logarithmic and other tables had almost miraculously escaped all injury.

We steamed into Kinchau Bay, with all lights out, about an hour later
than I had arranged for, but still in sufficient time for the work which
lay before me; and when we arrived off the cove where I had previously
landed, our largest boat was lowered, the buoys or rafts which I had
caused to be prepared were placed in her, each having attached to it a
very light chain of just sufficient length to securely moor it with the
aid of a good grapnel; and, accompanied by two men, I then jumped in,
and we pulled ashore, while the _Kasanumi_ turned tail and steamed off
to sea again at full speed, so as to be out of sight from the shore
before dawn.

Arrived in the cove, we secured our bo