was altered eight points to the
eastward, and the ships proceeded in line ahead, closing in upon the
_Tokiwa_--the leading ship--as they did so, while Kamimura reported the
circumstance by wireless to Togo, who, with his battle squadron, was
some sixty miles away to the northward of us. Some twenty minutes
later, after a lively bout of signalling by the wireless operators
aboard the Japanese ships, it became certain that the smoke seen must
proceed from enemy ships, and all our dispositions were made for dealing
with them, the instructions of the armoured division being to close
slowly in upon the enemy from the westward, while the battleships rushed
down at full speed from the north, and the protected cruisers did the
same from the south.

The result was that, a few hours later, four Russian battleships,
namely, the _Orel, Apraxin, Nicolai First_, and _Seniavin_ found
themselves completely hemmed in by our ships, while the light cruiser
_Izumrud_, availing herself of her superior speed, just managed to
escape by the skin of her teeth.

I will say this for them: outnumbered though they were, and hopeless as
was their situation, with their ammunition running short, and their
crews almost in a state of collapse from nerve strain, those four ships
made a gallant defence, and it was not until they were reduced to the
very last extremity that Admiral Nebogatoff ordered the white flag to be
hoisted over his squadron in token of surrender. Prize crews were at
once put aboard the prizes, and they were ordered south to Sasebo under
an escort of cruisers, of which the _Yakumo_ was one. The _Orel_ was
such a wreck that she was incapable of steaming more than eight knots,
consequently we did not arrive in harbour until the afternoon of the
following day, when, our wireless messages having prepared the
inhabitants for our arrival, we received such an ovation as it thrills
me yet to remember.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

REINSTATED.

It was not until nearly a fortnight later that the full results of the
battle of Tsushima became known; then, tabulating the intelligence that
came to hand from various points, we were at last in a position to
realise the surprising character of the Japanese Navy's achievement.

Briefly and baldly summarised, it amounted to this: Of the eleven
Russian battleships which went into action on that memorable 27th May,
four were captured, while the remaining seven were sunk. Of nine
cruisers, five we