ur last meal in her stripped saloon that
day at noon, and at one o'clock moved over on to the _Wolf_, the German
sailors, aided by some neutrals, carrying our light cabin luggage for
us. The Commander of the _Wolf_ himself superintended our crossing from
one ship to the other, and he had had a gangway specially made for us.
We felt more like prisoners than ever! The crew and their belongings,
the Japanese stewards and theirs, moved over to the _Wolf_ in the
afternoon, and at 5 p.m. on November 6th the _Wolf_ sheered off, leaving
the _Hitachi_ deserted, but for the German Captain and officers, and the
bombing party who were to send her to the bottom next day.

Both ships remained where they were for the night, abreast of and about
four hundred yards distant from each other. At 9 a.m. on November 7th
they moved off and manoeuvred. The Germans did not intend to sink the
_Hitachi_ where she was, but in deep water. To do this they had to sail
some distance from the Nazareth Bank. The _Hitachi_ hoisted the German
Imperial Navy flag, and performed a kind of naval goose-step for the
delectation of the _Wolf_. At 1 p.m. the flag was hauled down, both
ships stopped, and the _Hitachi_ blew off steam for the last time.

There were still a few people on her, and the _Wolf's_ motor launch made
three trips between the two ships before the German Captain and bombing
officer left the _Hitachi_. Three bombs had been placed for her
destruction, one forward outside the ship on the starboard side, one
amidships inside, and one aft on the port side outside the ship. At 1.33
p.m. the Captain arrived alongside the _Wolf_, at 1.34 the first bomb
exploded with a dull subdued roar, sending up a high column of water;
the explosion of the other bombs followed at intervals of a minute, so
that by 1.36 the last bomb had exploded. All on the _Wolf_ now stood
watching the _Hitachi's_ last struggle with the waves, a struggle which,
thanks to her murderers, could have but one end; and the German officers
stood on the _Wolf's_ deck taking photos at different stages of the
tragedy. There the two ships now rested, the murderer and the victim,
alone on the ocean, with no help for the one and no avenging justice for
the other. The _Wolf_ was secure from all interference--nothing could
avert the final tragedy. The many witnesses who would have helped the
victim were powerless; we could but stand and watch with impotent fury
and great sorrow and pity the inevit