It was not until the troops had been departing from Tokio for several days that the general populace showed any such resemblance to Occidental enthusiasm as this. When some of the members of the staff left Tokio, they awakened and behaved like any other crowd at such a time. They shouted good-bys and the band, in a quaint imitation of Western customs, played “Auld Lang Syne” [Illustration: FIFTH DIVISION ENGINEERS STUDYING PLANS ] [Illustration: FIRST SECTION FINISHED SHOWING MANNER OF CONSTRUCTION WITH TIMBER AND ROPES ] [Illustration: PUSHING THE FIRST STAGING OUT INTO THE RIVER ] ENGINEERS AT HIROSHIMA PRACTICING BUILDING BRIDGES LIKE THOSE USED AT THE YALU [Illustration: BRIDGE AT HIROSHIMA READY FOR THE PONTOONS ] The bridges used at the Yalu were all planned and constructed in practice in Japan long before war was declared. After being built they were taken apart, carried along with the rest of the equipment, and put together when the time came. The Japanese engineers had complete maps and measurements of the streams in Manchuria, so that they always knew just what difficulties were to be met [Illustration: “TIKOKU BANZAI!”—“LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!” ] Enthusiasm at Kobe upon the departure of a troop train for Ugina, a port of embarkation for Korea. On leaving for the front the Japanese soldier suppressed all emotions of sorrow. Not to be impassive was unmanly. It was only at such times as this that the collective enthusiasm showed itself, and it was not until a number of trains had passed en route for the front that it awoke. CHAPTER II THE FIRST BATTLES OF THE WAR It was on the night of February 8, 1904, that all hope of a peaceful solution of the Russo-Japanese entanglement was blown to the winds by the startling attack of Admiral Togo’s torpedo-boats on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur. The Russians were quite unready for so swift an onslaught; many officers were on shore, while the lookouts and scouting service were scarcely more vigilant than in time of peace. The Japanese torpedo flotilla sped in among the close-huddled battleships, launched their missiles, and were scurrying to sea before the Russian crews began to repel the attack. The first-class battleships “Retvizan” and “Czarevitch” and the cruiser “Pallada” were so badly injured that they had to be beached. The Japanese fleet returned the next day and bombarded the Russian ships and forts. In this attack the battleship “Poltava,” and the cruisers “Diana,” “Novik,” and “Askold” were temporarily disabled.