With ships of the _Suvaroff_ class he was well acquainted. From 1899 he was assistant-constructor of the _Borodino_, and this was probably the reason of his appointment to the fleet, an appointment destined to be fatal to him. How passionately he dreamed of the arrival at Vladivostok and of the possibility of returning to Russia! Alas! fate decided otherwise. He perished in his prime, being but thirty years old. Through his death our engineer-constructors have suffered a severe loss. He was talented, clever, and energetic, with a vast experience gained from his cruise. What a valuable man he would have been in the construction of the new Russian fleet! TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I BEGINNING THE VOYAGE PAGE The Summons--The Emperor visits the Fleet--Worries and Work--Fear of Japanese Mines--Repairs--The Order of St. Anne--Mishaps--Suspicions and Nerve-strain--On the Dogger Bank--The _Kamchatka_ "attacked"--The North Sea Trawlers--The _Aurora_ fired on--The Ship's Barber--"Foggy Albion"--Crossing the Bay--Complications--At Vigo--Protests from England 1 CHAPTER II OFF NORTH-WEST AFRICA Vigo and the Spanish--Chased--An English Escort--That Horrid Britannia!--A Memorial Service for Alexander III.--Cruisers--Tangier--Japanese Torpedo-boats at Hull--The _Suvaroff_--Morocco and the Moors--Rumours and Lies--Cutting the Cable--The _Malay_ breaks down--Vessels in the Squadron--The Captain gets some Soap!--Great Heat--Dakar--Those English again!--Coal the Weakness--Sunstroke--Japanese Spies--The Natives--Visiting the Fleet--Heat and Thirst--Whales sighted--The _Malay_ again--Strike of a Stoker 25 CHAPTER III CROSSING THE LINE Off Gaboon--Rats--Wiring for News--Requested to leave by the French--Cannibals--Awaking a King--Photographed with Royalty--A Captain reprimanded--Libreville--Dancing a Tam-tam--Andrew Andrewitch--Crossing the Line--How they fast--Great Fish Bay--A Portuguese Gunboat--Albatrosses--Dysentery--Angra Pequena--News of Mukden--English Possessions everywhere--German Sympathy--Sad News from the Front--Visiting the _Malay_--Lights put out--Rat Hunting 51 CHAPTER IV ON THE WAY TO MADAGASCAR Passing Capetown--A Steamer following--A Furious Gale--The _Malay_ again in Trouble--Fire on the _Suvaroff_--Bad Coal--General Alarm--Another Storm--Madagascar in Sight--Sickening News from Port Arthur--Hopeless Darkness--The _Orel_ invaded by Jews--A Swiss Schooner--St. Mary--Scenery and People--The French Cordial--Tang-tang--Undecipherable Signals Japanese--Mysterious Signals--The _Esperanza_ nervous--Port Arthur surrendered--Christmas--Warships sighted--Are they Japanese?--Mutiny on the _Roland_--Arrival at Nosi Be--The Admirals meet--Uncertainty and Dissatisfaction 79