Yesterday my servant Golovko stole a bottle of brandy from the sideboard in the wardroom, and got drunk. He is no longer to be one of the servants of the staff. I shall have another. It is a pity, as I was accustomed to Golovko, and he knew my ways. I smoked a cigarette with opium, and am now inclined to sleep. I hope Nebogatoff and his fleet will come soon. Perhaps he will bring a mail. Everything is possible with us. _April 19th._--There is a telegram that Nebogatoff passed Penang on the 15th, and not on the 13th. We may expect him here on the 21st. There have been disorders in the battleship _Orel_ about a cow. Some one broke her leg. They killed her, and gave her meat to the crew for dinner. The crew complained loudly that they were fed with meat from animals that had died. The admiral himself went to the _Orel_ this morning, and raised thunder and lightning. The captain, officers, and crew alike suffered. True, the crew of the _Orel_ are a bad lot. Among the sailors are many who have been punished. Do you remember I told you they were not sailors, but convicts, in the _Orel_. Think of what has happened to this ship--her sinking, grounding, the attempt to damage both engines, etc. The captain is in a great measure responsible for the insubordination of the crew. For some reason he looks at their offences through his fingers, and even reproves the officers if they try to carry out a more severe discipline--and not only discipline, but plain order. There is news that a French warship will arrive here to-morrow. The following comedy will be played out for appearance' sake. All the battleships, the _Oleg_, and the _Aurora_ will get up anchor and go to sea at 6.30 a.m. The transports and other ships will move ahead, as if they were preparing to go. In reality they will only change their position, leaving places for Nebogatoff's fleet. Is not all this neutrality and international right a farce? Here we have been half a month close to the theatre of war, in the waters of a neutral power. All our ships would have left Van Fong if it had not been that we feared the typhoon. You will no doubt receive this letter when we are at Vladivostok. It will be a pity if the letters fall into the hands of the Japanese. I am picturing to myself the fight. An artillery fight does not appear to me to be so terrible and destructive as a torpedo attack. Projectiles could not sink a battleship or cruiser, but a torpedo might very easily, if it hit.