ve mastery of the outer
seas. Henceforth German naval ambition, frustrated in its endeavour to
disorganize the trade routes, was forced, within the limits of the North
Sea and of British waters, to seek less adventurous but more
disreputable ends. A series of bombardments of coast towns was planned.
A preliminary success was followed by a galling disaster.

* * * * *

With the exception of the naval engagements described above, the
operations of the Germans in the sea was limited chiefly to preying upon
enemy commerce by isolated vessels. Of these terrors of the sea the most
famous was the cruiser _Emden_, which began her career on October 29 by
sinking the Russian cruiser _Jemtchug_ in Penang Harbor. Her career
until her destruction and the adventures of those of her crew who
escaped are described in the following chapter.

CRUISE OF THE EMDEN

CAPTAIN MUeCKE

[Sidenote: The _Indus_ sunk.]

"We on the _Emden_ had no idea where we were going, as on August 11,
1914, we separated from the cruiser squadron, escorted only by the
coaler _Markomannia_. Under way, the _Emden_ picked up three officers
from German steamers. That was a piece of luck, for afterward we needed
many officers for the capturing and sinking of steamers, or manning them
when we took them with us. On September 10 the first boat came in sight.
We stop her. She proves to be a Greek tramp, chartered from England. On
the next day we met the _Indus_, bound for Bombay, all fitted up as a
troop transport, but still without troops. That was the first one we
sunk. The crew we took aboard the _Markomannia_. 'What's the name of
your ship?' the officers asked us. '_Emden!_ Impossible. Why, the
_Emden_ was sunk long ago in battle with the _Ascold_!'

[Sidenote: Capturing ships a habit.]

[Sidenote: Provisions secured.]

"Then we sank the _Lovat_ a troop transport ship, and took the _Kabinga_
along with us. One gets used quickly to new forms of activity. After a
few days capturing ships became a habit. Of the twenty-three which we
captured, most of them stopped after our first signal. When they didn't,
we fired a blank shot. Then they all stopped. Only one, the _Clan
Mattesen_, waited for a real shot across the bow before giving up its
many automobiles and locomotives to the seas. The officers were mostly
very polite and let down rope ladders for us. After a few hours they'd
be on board with us. We ourselves never set f