north, and to co-operate with the armies of Kuroki and Nodzu in the general movement toward Liao-Yang. By the middle of June parallel columns of Japanese were moving northward through the valleys of Manchuria like so many fingers of one giant hand. Meanwhile Admiral Togo had maintained a strict blockade of the harbor and the Russian fleet had been practically destroyed. Beginning with the destruction of the “Variag” and “Korietz” in February, and including the tragic sinking of the “Petropavlovsk,” and the death of Admiral Makaroff and the painter Verestchagin on April 13, the Japanese successes gradually wore down the Port Arthur fleet until the Russian naval power in the East was no longer a factor in the reckoning. Up until the end of April the Japanese losses were practically nothing at all. Then came the sinking, by submarine mines, of the battleship “Hatsuse,” the third class cruiser “Miyako,” and Torpedo Boat No. 48. The battleship “Yoshino” was sunk in a collision. These losses came too late, however, for the Russians to take advantage of them, and the death of Admiral Makaroff may be said to mark the climax of the naval campaign against Port Arthur. After that the land campaign against the “Gibraltar of the East” began in earnest. [Illustration: VIEW OF THE HARBOR ENTRANCE OF PORT ARTHUR FROM THE LAND SIDE, THE RUSSIAN FLEET IN THE OFFING ] [Illustration: LOOKING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE DOCKS AT PORT ARTHUR TO THE HEIGHTS AND ONE OF THE RUSSIAN FORTS ] [Illustration: DRY DOCK AT PORT ARTHUR VIEWED FROM THE PUBLIC GARDEN ] [Illustration: ENTRANCE TO DRY DOCK AND MACHINE SHOPS AT PORT ARTHUR ] [Illustration: CHINESE SAMPANS AT THEIR LANDINGS AT PORT ARTHUR ] SCENES ALONG THE WATER FRONT AT PORT ARTHUR BEFORE THE DECLARATION OF WAR [Illustration: CHINESE SAMPANS USED AS LIGHTERS FOR UNLOADING VESSELS AT PORT ARTHUR ] [Illustration: JAPANESE FUGITIVES LEAVING PORT ARTHUR IN CHINESE SAMPANS ] [Illustration: RUSSIAN WARSHIPS STEAMING OUT OF PORT ARTHUR ON FEBRUARY 1 ] [Illustration: FUGITIVES ARRIVING IN PORT ARTHUR JUST AFTER THE DECLARATION OF WAR ] NAVAL AND CIVILIAN ACTIVITY IN PORT ARTHUR AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR [Illustration: RUSSIAN WARSHIPS IN THE HARBOR AT PORT ARTHUR JUST BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF WAR ] [Illustration: SAILORS AMUSING THEMSELVES WHILE OFF DUTY WITH BOOKS AND GAMES ] [Illustration: GUN DRILL ON A RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP—“LOAD!” ] [Illustration: SAILORS GOING THROUGH A DRILL IN LOWERING THE TORPEDO NETTING ] [Illustration: GUN DRILL ON A RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP—“FIRE!” ] GETTING READY FOR THE JAPANESE ON A RUSSIAN WARSHIP AT PORT ARTHUR [Illustration: UNARMORED CRUISER “PALLADA,” DISABLED DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE WAR ] [Illustration: BATTLESHIP “POLTAVA,” SISTER SHIP OF THE “PETROPAVLOVSK” ] [Illustration: THE PLUCKY LITTLE “NOVIK,” DISABLED IN THE FIRST FIGHT OF THE WAR ] [Illustration: