sight
of them.

As soon as the destroyer had disappeared, Kusumoto retired to his cabin
and wrote a lengthy account of the affair in his official log-book,
getting Nakamura and me to sign it, as before, in testimony of its
veracity. This he did in order to justify himself for broaching cargo
and temporarily mounting the Hotchkiss and Maxim guns; and it may be
said here that not only was his justification accepted, but his conduct
was highly commended by the authorities.

About four bells in the first watch that night, we passed through the
strait, and shifted our helm for Cape Guardafui, not calling at Aden,
since we had coal enough to carry us on to Colombo; and we saw nothing
more of the Russians until after our arrival in Japan on 22nd January
1904.

CHAPTER THREE.

WAR!

On the morning of the day which witnessed my arrival in the Land of the
Rising Sun, the berth-room steward who brought me my early cup of coffee
informed me, with a broad grin of satisfaction, that we were in Sagami
Bay; that it was a beautiful morning, but very cold; and that he would
advise me to turn out at once if I desired to obtain the best possible
view of Fujiyama, or Fujisan, as the Japanese love to call it. I took
his advice, bathed and dressed with seamanlike celerity, and, donning a
thick, warm ulster, made my way to the navigating bridge, catching my
first glimpses of Japan--Shimoda, on the port, and the island of Oshima
on the starboard quarter, as I went. And when I reached the bridge and
took my stand beside Sadakiyo, the chief officer, I mentally returned
thanks to that steward for his advice, and was glad that I had acted
upon it, for the sight which met my gaze was beautiful beyond all power
of description, and such as I shall never forget.

The air was clear as crystal, there was no wind, and the water was
mirror-smooth, its surface dotted with fishing-boats, the unpainted
hulls and white sails of which floated double, with nothing to show the
junction of substance with reflection. Reflected, too, were the
serrated ridges of Awa's and Kasusa's mountain-peaks and their ravines,
dark and mysterious, with little villages of grey huts surmounted by
high-pitched roofs of thatch clustering here and there along the beach
to starboard, while, to port, dominating all else, towered high in air
the majestic, snow-crowned peak of Fujisan, its summit blushing a
delicate rosy pink in the first light of dawn. And, as I gazed,