To-morrow it is proposed to coal. It will be difficult to do so if the swell is as great as it was to-day. Again we shall lose a whole day. Coaling in our present condition is a very important thing, though troublesome. The whole deck is encumbered with coal, and even part of the guns. _March 10th._--At nine the torpedo-boat _Gromky_ reported that her rudder was damaged. The divers had to work under water, and there were many sharks. While they were at work men with loaded rifles stood ready to defend them. They were clearly visible, as the water is very transparent. 9 p.m.--From a chance word I gathered that in fifteen days we shall be at some port. I doubt it. By my reckoning we shall toss at sea much longer. Slowly, very slowly, we go on. Stoppages are constant. I am so accustomed to them that I take very little interest in knowing the reason, and am too lazy to go on deck and find out. _March 11th._--The _Svietlana_ reports that she sees a steamer ahead on the same course as ourselves. It is strange that we are going slowly along an unfrequented route and yet we can catch up a steamer. Even freight-steamers do not go as slowly as our ships. _March 12th._--The _Oleg_ and _Donskoi_ report that they see some lights far away. They are watching them. Perhaps they are English cruisers. The steamer which the _Svietlana_ saw was apparently a myth. A boiler in the _Kamchatka_ is damaged, but she does not remain behind. She began to drop, but when she knew about the suspicious light she prepared to come on. We are approaching nearer and nearer to the East. We shall soon recross the equator. Vladivostok seems like the promised land. Yes; Vladivostok, Vladivostok! But what if my supposition about Sagalien and Vladivostok are justified? Where will our fleet go then, and what will it do? The next time we stop to coal I shall have to pass the whole day on board the _Gromky_. They have stopped breaking the tow-ropes in the torpedo-boats. At all events, they have not broken one for some time. The _Sissoi_ is keeping back the fleet. There is always something wrong with her. This morning the _Nachimoff_ joined her. The _Oleg_ reports that the lights she saw yesterday were not constant. They looked like sparks flying out of funnels. Perhaps our fleet is following in the wake of some other ships. By day they hide themselves beyond the horizon, so we do not see them; and by night they approach us, having all lights out. The sparks betray their presence. At night, when there is no moon, it is absolutely dark and very difficult to see. Our fleet is steaming with lights visible from afar; therefore it is easy for ships knowing our course to find the fleet in the ocean and to approach it without danger. We may expect any moment to be attacked at night. I cannot without horror imagine one thing--that is, that they will compel us to lie an endless number of days in some Saigon.