fresh from the westward, knocking up a short, choppy sea that
threatened soon to become dangerous to such a small boat as ours.
Luckily for us, however, Hiraoka was a bit ahead of time that night, the
barometer having warned him that bad weather was brewing, with the
result that in little more than half an hour after leaving the cove we
made out the dark form of the destroyer, hove-to and waiting for us,
within fifty fathoms of our boat. And now it was that I had practical
experience of the value of a suitable colouring as an aid to
concealment; for although the _Kasanumi_ had been where we found her for
a full quarter of an hour, and although we had been keeping a sharp
lookout for her, she remained invisible until we were close aboard of
her, thanks to the peculiar shade of grey with which I had caused her to
be painted. We scrambled aboard gladly enough, hoisted the boat to the
davits, and at once started back for our rendezvous at the Elliot group,
where we arrived without adventure shortly after sunrise on the
following morning.

When, a little later, I went aboard the flagship to report myself and
the result of my expedition to the Admiral, I learned that I had only
got back just in the nick of time, for at last a communication had been
received from General Oku, announcing that his preparations were now
complete, and the squadron detached to assist him was under orders to
leave for Kinchau Bay that very night. This squadron consisted of the
_Tsukushi_, a light cruiser, armed with two 10-inch and four 47-inch
guns, and the old ironclad _Hei-yen_, once belonging to the Chinese
navy, but captured by the Japanese at the first battle of the Yalu. She
mounted one 10-inch Krupp which had formed part of her original
armament, and two 6-inch modern guns. Also the _Akagi_, another
survivor of the Yalu battle, armed with four 47-inch guns; and the
_Chokai_, carrying one 8-2-inch and one 47-inch gun. These were the
craft destined to bombard the Nanshan Heights from the sea while the
Japanese infantry and artillery attacked them from the land side; and
they were the only craft we had at the time at all suitable for the
purpose, while even they were incapable of rendering such efficient help
as might have been desired, the fact being that the shallow waters of
Kinchau Bay compelled them to keep at so great a distance from the shore
that they could only use their guns at extreme ranges. Accompanying
these four ships was