e _Asama_, for example, was at least
temporarily out of action, while the _Kasuga_--one of the two new
cruisers purchased from the Argentine just before the outbreak of the
war--had all three of her heavy guns rendered useless.

By this time our protected cruiser division had crept up on the
starboard quarter of the Russian line, and was vigorously attacking in
that direction, while our battle-line, to port of the Russians, was as
vigorously pounding the enemy's front, thus bringing the Russian line
between two fires. It was about this time that one of those brief
interludes of comparative inaction which occur in most battles afforded
me an opportunity to look round a bit and obtain my first comprehensive
view of the battle since its commencement.

The wind, which had been blowing fresh during the earlier part of the
day, had been gradually dropping, and was now little more than a mere
breathing, but the sky still continued overcast and gloomy, its shadow,
falling upon the sullenly heaving but no longer breaking seas, causing
the tumbling waters to look almost black where they were not veiled by
the drifting smoke wreaths or slowly moving patches of fog. It was the
obscuration caused by this combination of smoke and fog that had
produced the interval of comparative inaction of which I have spoken,
for it rendered accurate firing difficult, and our ships, in accordance
with Togo's determination not to waste ammunition, were only firing
occasional single shots, when the hull of an opponent became distinctly
visible, although the Russians were blazing away at us as recklessly as
ever, thus enveloping themselves in an almost continuous veil of smoke,
which was renewed as quickly as it drifted away.

It was now that the _Asama_, having effected temporary repairs, came up
and resumed her place in our line of battle, which was thus once more
intact, our ships keeping station with the most perfect regularity with
the Russian line, such as it was, some four thousand yards distant about
a point abaft our starboard beam. The roar of the enemy's artillery was
incessant, the continuous crashing _boom_ of the guns reminding one, as
much as anything, of a tremendous thunderstorm, while the flash of their
guns, seen through the gloom of the louring afternoon, not altogether
inadequately represented the accompanying lightning.

I looked round to see if I could discover either of the silenced Russian
battleships. Yes, there they w