CHAPTER IX THROUGH THE STRAITS OF MALACCA Mutiny--More Mishaps--Dogs--Straits of Malacca--Imaginary Torpedo-boats--Will the Japanese attack?--Passing Malacca--No News of the War--Night Attack feared--Small Hope of Victory--Passing Anamba--Bound for Kamranh--Constant Fear of Japanese--A Time of Alarms--More Deaths 221 CHAPTER X THE STAY AT KAMRANH Arrival at Kamranh--Chances Neglected--Despair--Losing Time--More Accidents--Meeting of Admirals and Captains--Post Difficulties--A Goat--Cockroaches--Hard Work repairing--A French Cruiser--Food Scarce--Admiral Folkersham Ill--Meeting of Engineers--False News--A Regrettable Incident--Forest Fires--Foreign Contempt for Russia--Requested to leave Kamranh--Where is the Third Fleet?--Two Colliers arrested--Fatal Errors--Discretion of the English Press--Phantom Submarine 238 CHAPTER XI DELAYS AT VAN FONG Sympathy of French Admiral--Japanese Spies--Expensive Food--The Russian System--A Rat Bite--Squalor--Want of Engineers--An Alarm--"Apes" and "Anyhows"--The _Oleg_--Preparations for Easter--Officers usually Drunk--Easter--Prickly Heat--Expecting Nebogatoff--Row on the _Orel_--Neutrality a Farce--Night Alarms--Buying Children--Suspicious Lights--No News of Nebogatoff--French Admiral as Poet--No News from Manchuria--Getting Cigarettes--The Annamese People--Nebogatoff in Sight--Excitement--A Good Post--French Impertinence--Poisonous Gases--Leaving Van Fong 263 CHAPTER XII PREPARING FOR BATTLE Expecting Torpedo and Submarine Attacks--Delay--Signals--Formosa--Coaling--A Steamer arrested--Love of Secrets--A Possible Japanese Scout--Contraband Ships--Preparations for Battle--An English Trick--A Balloon sighted--No Sign of the Japanese--The _Irtish_ breaks down--Hopes of reaching Vladivostok 293 NOTE BY MADAME POLITOVSKY 306 APPENDIX.--OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE RUSSIAN LOSSES IN THE BATTLE 307 FROM LIBAU TO TSUSHIMA CHAPTER I BEGINNING THE VOYAGE _August 28th._--Events follow each other so fast that they get confused in the memory. The return from the club in the morning, a frightened wife with a telegram, the rush from Petersburg to Cronstadt, hurried calls, appointment to the _Suvaroff_, good-byes, send-offs, a new service, etc., etc. I am not yet accustomed to my new surroundings. To-day I bade good-bye to the captain and officers of the _Borodino_, and to the foremen and workmen. They wished me good luck, drank my health, cheered, and the band played. They evidently had a very friendly disposition towards me.