. I am
afraid this will mean a certain amount of disappointment for you, since
as soon as you have started I shall proceed in search of the
Vladivostock fleet. But you must endeavour to console yourself with the
reflection that I may not find them, or be able to entice them to come
out and fight me."

It was true, I certainly did feel a bit disappointed, for I most
earnestly desired to see what it was like to be engaged in a regular
pitched battle, even though it were only between a couple of hostile
squadrons; but I was where I was, to lend a hand where required, not to
pick and choose what I would or would not do; in any case I was not
going to make occasion for it to be said that an Englishman had
unwillingly accepted any duty offered to him; therefore with as much
cheerfulness as I could muster, I expressed my perfect readiness to do
my best; whereupon Kamimura gave me my written instructions and
dismissed me to pack up such few of my belongings as I thought I might
need. However, as I had only brought a very limited kit aboard the
_Idzumi_, I decided to take everything, since it would all go into a
small portmanteau.

Meanwhile, the skipper of the _Kinshiu_ had been signalled to have a
cabin prepared for me, and for him and Captain Honda, the officer in
command of the troops, to repair on board the _Idzumi_ to receive their
instructions. They of course came at once, had a short interview with
the Admiral, and we all left together, Honda doing the honours of the
ship, welcoming me on board the transport, and introducing his
fellow-officers, all of whom seemed very jolly fellows, with but one
desire, namely, to get to grips with the Russians.

We left Gensan that afternoon, escorted by the 11th torpedo-boat
flotilla under the command of Commander Takebe; the cruisers weighing at
the same time and heading east, in the hope of seeing or hearing
something of the Russians.

Unfortunately for us, we had not been under way a couple of hours before
we ran into a dense fog which delayed our progress to such an extent
that we did not reach Iwon until the morning of the 25th. We found
there a long, roughly constructed wooden jetty running far enough out
from the shore to give a depth of about six feet alongside its head, at
low water, which greatly facilitated our landing; and, ashore, we
discovered certain artfully concealed field-works of such a character
that, armed with a few heavy guns, they might have pretty ef