ds had been more or less severely
frost-bitten, not only their bodies, but also their minds were benumbed
by the arctic severity of the weather, and thus it came to pass (at
least so I reasoned it out) that when the moment for action arrived
their faculties, between physical suffering and mental excitement,
became so confused that many of them made the mistake against which I
had warned Ito, and failed to withdraw the safety pin before discharging
their torpedoes, thus rendering the missiles ineffective. This was also
Ito's opinion, you will remember.

By the time that we reached Mokpo we were all in a most deplorable
condition, nearly half of the deck hands of the expedition being
compelled to go into hospital suffering from frost-bite, a few of the
cases being of so severe a character that the patients lost either their
hands or their feet, while one man lost all four members, and narrowly
escaped dying outright. Ito and I were somehow lucky enough to escape
without serious injury, but we both developed virulent attacks of
inflammation of the lungs, which put us _hors de combat_ for nearly
three weeks. But there is no doubt that our recovery was greatly
facilitated by the intimation, which reached us while we were still in
hospital, that we had both been promoted to the rank of Commander.

Meanwhile, things had been happening at Port Arthur and elsewhere. On
the morning following our attack, Togo sent three fast cruisers in
toward the fortress to reconnoitre; and these ships having discovered
pretty much how matters stood there, and reported to the Admiral, the
whole fleet stood in and engaged the ships and batteries at long-range,
firing only their 12-inch and 8-inch guns, the range being too long for
the others. The weather had changed, and was now bright and
comparatively warm, the atmosphere so clear that even comparatively
small objects were clearly visible.

The _Mikasa_ opened the ball by firing a sighting shot from one of the
12-inch guns in her fore barbette, and at the same moment the Russian
ships were seen to be getting under way. At low speed the Japanese
fleet steamed past the port in "line ahead," firing as they went, and
after an engagement lasting some forty minutes, drew off, hoping that
the Russian fleet would follow them, but in this they were disappointed.
Our ships were hit several times and sustained a certain amount of
damage, but, luckily, not of a serious character. It was reported t