reader will remember, for the armored cruiser _New York_, which was
actually lying off San Francisco assigned to Admiral Crane's yellow
fleet. The _Yakumo_ was to prevent the two destroyers _Hull_ and
_Hopkins_ from escaping from the Bay, and both boats were literally shot
to pieces when they made the attempt. This action hopelessly isolated
the maneuvering fleets.

By eight o'clock in the morning Togo's squadron, consisting of the
flag-ships _Satsuma_, the _Aki_, _Katou_, _Kashimi_, _Mikasa_ and
_Akahi_, and forming the backbone of the Japanese battle-fleet, had
succeeded in locating Admiral Perry's squadron, thanks to intercepted
wireless dispatches. The Japanese refrained from using their wireless
apparatus, so as to avoid attracting the attention of the American
squadron. The unfinished message sent at nine o'clock from Magdalen Bay
told Togo that the surprise there had been successful, and a little
later the order to strengthen the American advance, sent in the same
way, enabled him to ascertain the exact position of both the main group
of cruisers and the scouts and lookout ships. Similarly it was learned
that the latter were extremely weak, and accordingly Togo detached four
armored cruisers, the huge new 25-knot _Tokio_ and _Osaka_, and the
_Ibuki_ and _Kurama_, to destroy the American van, and this he succeeded
in accomplishing after a short engagement which took place at the same
time as the attack on Perry's armored ships.

The _Denver_ and _Chattanooga_ were soon put out of business by a few
shells which entered their unprotected hulls, and the five destroyers,
which were unable to use their torpedoes in such a heavy sea, were
likewise soon done for.

Under cover of a torrent of rain, Togo came in sight of the American
ships when the distance between the two squadrons was only 5,500 yards.

At the moment when Admiral Perry's ships emerged out of the rain,
Admiral Togo opened the battle by sending the following signal from the
_Satsuma_:

"To-day must avenge Kanagawa. As Commodore Perry then knocked with his
sword at the gate of Nippon, so will we to-day burst open San
Francisco's Golden Gate."[1]

The signal was greeted with enthusiasm and loud cries of "_Banzai_!" on
board all the ships. Then the battle began, and by the time the sun had
reached its zenith, Admiral Perry's squadron had disappeared in the
waves of the Pacific. The first eleven minutes, before the Americans
could bring their guns into