It became increasingly difficult to obtain trustworthy information concerning anything of importance, and not easy to meet one’s informants, as though by accident, at the time when they had information, and were willing to communicate it. The results of the desultory firing day by day were not distinguishable, and the _Novy Krai_ became a newsless sheet. Between the naval and military authorities the dissensions long existing, and bitter even before the war, suddenly became acute. Differences were discussed openly, the army and navy were at variance, and the diplomatic body seemed unable to make peace between them. Matters were not much improved when it was known that the Viceroy would leave Port Arthur, placing Admiral Stark in full command, and take the diplomatic corps and executive of the Administration to new headquarters at Mukden. General Stoessel was to be in chief command of the land defences; General Smirnov to be his assistant, and in full charge of the southernmost forts, both east and west. From the beginning the two did not work well together, and as the enemy gained advantage after advantage by their attacks on the land side, whilst General Smirnov’s forts escaped serious injury from different bombardments by the enemy’s fleet, this lack of harmony changed into discord, and later developed into something of the nature of mutual antagonism. General Stoessel strengthened the outer line of fortifications by every means devisible. Land mines innumerable were sunk below the soil of all the slopes; the workshops were working night and day preparing fougades from lengths of any iron tubing procurable, wire entanglements were erected, German firms and others having foreseen the possible need, and laid in large stocks in anticipation of the demand, and, last of all, a trench was dug all round the outer line; its length was seven miles, and its depth twenty feet, and width in some places nearly fifty feet. CHAPTER VI Last Days in Port Arthur