It would be tedious to follow in detail the wanderings of the remainder of our ships, who proceeded with colliers in company to ferret out every nook and cranny in this indented coastline. The _Newcastle_ and some Japanese cruisers operated farther to the north along the Pacific side. Admiral Stoddart's squadron must have covered many thousands of miles with practically no respite in this onerous and fatiguing duty. Their lot was by no means enviable, they were perpetually under way, except when they stopped to replenish with coal, their mails were of necessity very irregular, and they were seldom able to get fresh food. Imagine, then, with what joy they ultimately found the termination of their labours in the sinking of the _Dresden_! CHAPTER XVIII THE LAST OF THE "DRESDEN" "Tell them it is El Draque," he said, "who lacks The time to parley; therefore it will be well They strike at once, for I am in great haste." There, at the sound of that renowned name, Without a word down came their blazoned flag! Like a great fragment of the dawn it lay, Crumpled upon their decks.... ALFRED NOYES (_Drake_). There is remarkably little to tell about this action, which concludes the exploits of our ships in these waters. The whole fight only lasted a few minutes altogether--a poor ending to a comparatively fruitless career, considering the time that the _Dresden_ was at large. During the months of January and February, 1915, the search for her had been carried on unremittingly; but though she had managed successfully to evade us, she was so pressed that she was unable to harass or make attacks on our shipping. That she never once attempted to operate along the main trade routes shows the energy with which this quest was prosecuted. From the time of her escape on December 8th till the day on which she sank, the _Dresden_ only destroyed two sailing vessels. She, however, made such thorough arrangements to cover her movements that no reliable information as to her whereabouts ever leaked through to our squadron. Rumours were legion, and there were "people who were prepared to swear that they had seen her." The two places they mentioned were practically uncharted and were found to be full of hidden dangers. Acting on this "reliable" information, the localities were examined by our cruisers early in March, but it was found out afterwards that the _Dresden_ had never visited either of them.