twenty-two times, bursting into flame shortly before noon
and burning until shortly after four o'clock in the afternoon, while the
_Sevastopol_ was seriously damaged. The mine-laying ship _Amur_ was
also hit and sunk. The dockyard sustained serious damage, yet,
strangely enough, all through this bombardment the Russians did little
by way of reply; they seemed overwhelmed and paralysed at the
misfortunes which were now befalling them--or else, as some of us began
to shrewdly suspect, their ammunition was at last exhausted. On the 9th
of the month the _Sevastopol_--the only Russian battleship still
remaining afloat in the harbour--moved from her moorings and sought
refuge behind a big boom under the guns of Mantushan fort, on the Tiger
peninsula, where, a few nights later, she was energetically attacked by
our destroyers. These attacks were repeated nightly, with considerable
loss to our side, until the night of 15th-16th, when the ship was
successfully torpedoed. Her end was so evidently near now that we
ceased our attacks; but nothing could save her, and on the 20th of the
month her captain took her out into deep water, opened her Kingston
valves, and sank her, so that she might not fall into the hands of the
Japanese.

Meanwhile, North Kikwan fort was captured by our troops on the night of
the 18th, after a fight which cost us close upon a thousand men. Two
days later, we took a battery close to it; and on the 28th, the
formidable Erhlung became ours after a tremendous fight. Success after
success on our part now followed each other rapidly, each additional
capture firing our troops with renewed courage and determination. The
last day of the year saw Sungshushan fort fall to us, and the first day
of 1905 saw the New Panlung and H batteries in our hands, the Chinese
Wall breached, and the Japanese flag planted well within the Russian
defences. Wangtai fort was stormed and taken on the afternoon of the
same day, and as twilight was closing down upon the scene a Cossack,
bearing a large white flag, was seen riding out of the Swishiying
valley, followed by a Russian officer.

The officer was the bearer of a letter from General Stoessel to General
Nogi, inviting the latter to open negotiations with the writer "to
determine the conditions of surrender" of Port Arthur. Needless to say,
the Japanese general gladly, yet without undue haste, acceded to
Stoessel's proposal; and at noon of 2nd January 1905, Major-Genera