ing as
you will, should go hand in hand with discretion.

"With your kind favour I will briefly mention the picture that arose in
my mind while Prince Kasho was advocating the plan of taking the entire
fleet into Port Arthur roadstead and engaging the Russians in a pitched
battle.

"I readily grant you that the information communicated to the Admiral by
Hang-won seems to indicate that to-night, or the small hours of
to-morrow morning, will afford a magnificent opportunity for such a
_coup_; but--let us consider all the consequences which that _coup_
would entail. It may be that we should be able to take the Russians by
surprise; it is exceedingly probable that some of the officers--perhaps
a good many of them--will be ashore to-night; but, recognising the fact
that Russia and Japan are at war, do you, gentlemen, as reasonable,
sensible men, really believe for a moment that the Russian fleet will be
left defenceless in an open roadstead, or that the vigilance of the
lookouts will be relaxed? I do not. And, if not, the approach of such
a formidable array as ours would assuredly be detected, and the alarm
given, long before we could arrive within effective striking distance.
Then what would be the ultimate result? I have not a doubt that we
should be victorious, but at what cost? We must remember, gentlemen,
that we should be not only engaging a fleet but slightly inferior in
strength to our own, _but the batteries as well_; and it is in the
batteries that our danger lies. I know not what the armament of those
batteries may be, but I think we may safely assume that it will consist
of weapons heavy enough to sink many of our ships while we are doing our
best to sink theirs. With all submission, I think it would be the
height of folly for us to assume that we could fight such a battle
without serious loss to ourselves. And the point which I wish to
emphasise is this: _How are we going to make good those losses_? The
Russians can make good theirs by sending more ships out from Europe; but
where are we to get more? I need not labour this question, gentlemen; I
am sure you will all see what I mean, and therefore understand why I say
that, altogether apart from the question of slavish obedience to orders,
or otherwise, I think the Admiral is fully justified in his decision not
to risk his ships in such an exceedingly hazardous enterprise."

"Thank you, Mr Swinburne," said Togo, offering me his hand as I sat
down. "