The following details will show you how accustomed they have grown to the position. The crews of the ships at Port Arthur asked leave to go to the advanced positions, and returned under the influence of liquor. No one could understand how they became drunk. In the town liquors were not sold, and yet men went to the advanced positions and returned intoxicated. At last it was discovered, and how do you suppose? It appears that the sailors went to the front in order to kill one of the enemy and take away his brandy-flask. Just imagine such a thing. They risked their lives to get drunk! They did all this without thinking anything of it, and contrived to conceal it from the authorities. _October 8th._--The German Ocean (North Sea). What a night it has been--nerve-racking and restless. Early in the evening all were in a state of nervous tension and panic. News was received at midnight from the foremost ships that they had observed four suspicious torpedo-boats without lights. Vigilance was redoubled, but thank God the night passed happily. At present there is a fog. Nothing is visible all around. The sirens which you dislike so much are shrieking. I went to bed, dressed, last night, and did not cover myself with the counterpane, but just threw my overalls over me. In the night I froze, so covered my feet with a rug. The rug was very useful--many thanks to you for it. We are now in the German Ocean. They say it will be rough. At present it is calm, but foggy. We go from the Skaw to Brest, in France. There, there will be no communication with the shore, it is said. It will be strange if we arrive in the East without having once set foot on dry land--and that seems likely to happen; circumnavigating the world and not seeing a single town--how that would please you! 9 p.m.--A signal has just been received (by wireless telegraphy) that the _Kamchatka_, which had dropped far astern, was attacked by torpedo-boats. Just off to find out details. 10 p.m.--The _Kamchatka_ reports that she is attacked on all sides by eight torpedo-boats. _October 9th._--Night of October 9th. The _Kamchatka_ is asking the position of the fleet. She says she has altered course and that the torpedo-boats have gone. On board us they think that the Japanese are asking the position of the fleet. The wind has freshened. The _Suvaroff_ is rolling. If it continues to freshen, the torpedo-boats will be obliged to give up following and make for the nearest shore. My God! what will the fleet do then? About 1 a.m. they sounded off quarters, having seen ships ahead. They let the ships get nearer, and then there began.... What it was words fail to describe! All the ships of our division were ablaze. The noise of the firing was incessant. The searchlights were turned on. I was on the after bridge, and was positively blinded and deafened by the firing. I put my hands to my ears and bolted below. The rest I watched from the spar-deck, out of the accommodation-ladder port.