About 10 p.m. some ships chased us. They are now around us, and on the same course as ourselves. There are five or six of them. At one time it was completely dark, and then the ships behaved very defiantly--now extinguishing all their lights, now passing us, now chasing us, and now coming close up to us. Our division is steaming surrounded by them. They appear to be warships, judging by their shape, which we saw when one of them lighted up another with her searchlight. We are ordered to log all their manoeuvres, lamp signals, place of meeting with them, etc. Hammocks are not served out to the crew, and they sleep at the guns. The night has just become a little lighter. Stars have appeared, though sometimes clouded over. The stars and the Milky Way recall Tashkend to me. There, there are the same dark nights and bright stars. It is supposed that the ships now surrounding us are English, and that at dawn they will disperse. Hope we shall soon get to the ocean. There you can shape a course one hundred miles off, and no one will find you. _October 20th._--The English ships escorted us all night. They are now steaming on each side of us. At eight o'clock the _Orel_ hoisted a signal that her steering engine was damaged. All the ships stopped. The _Alexander_ lowered a boat and sent the flag engineer to her. At nine o'clock our battleships and the _Anadir_ proceeded to Tangier. Sometimes the coasts of Portugal are visible. When our ships stopped the English probably took it for a hostile demonstration. They quickly assembled astern of our division and formed in battle order. Horrid folk! They are Russia's eternal enemy. They are cunning, powerful at sea, and insolent everywhere. All nations hate England, but it suits them to tolerate her. If you could only hear how furiously Spaniards abuse the English! They shake their fists and nearly foam at the mouth. If they only could, they would gladly play some low trick on them. How many impediments has this "Ruler of the Seas" put on our voyage? Every impediment has come from Britannia. Do you know, we have passed by the shores of nine countries--Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, England, France, Germany, Spain. We are now passing by the tenth--Portugal. Portugal is considered the ally of England, and upholds her everywhere. Evening.--To-day there was a memorial service for the Emperor Alexander III. The English cruisers accompanied us all day, and at dusk again surrounded us in a semicircle. They are, however, steaming with lights, and are not playing any of the tricks they played last night. If nothing happens we shall be at Tangier at 3 p.m. to-morrow. An hour ago we passed Cape St. Vincent (Portuguese), off which a great naval battle once took place. It is beginning to be hot and stuffy in the cabins, although it is pouring with rain. The number of English cruisers accompanying us has increased to ten. We are steaming completely surrounded by them. The ships are in this order: