The two ships first observed, which proved to be the _Gneisenau_ and _Nürnberg_, continued to advance steadily towards the island, training their guns on the wireless station, and about an hour and a half after they had first been sighted came within 11,000 yards of the _Canopus_, which let fly at them with her big guns, firing over the low-lying land between the south side of the harbour and the open sea. The Germans at once hoisted their colours and turned away. Then, seeing the _Kent_ at the harbour mouth, they turned towards her, but very shortly afterwards turned away again and went off at full speed towards their consorts, who were now coming up. It is thought that they must have got a glimpse of the "surprise packet", in the shape of the _Invincible_ and _Inflexible_, that was awaiting their advent. At a quarter to ten the _Carnarvon_, _Inflexible_, _Invincible_, and _Cornwall_ weighed and stood out to sea in the order named, and overtook the _Kent_ and the _Glasgow_, which had gone out and joined her a few minutes earlier. The German ships were now in full sight to the south-east--hull down, and doing the "_Goeben_ glide" for all they were worth. In the British ships the stokers were working furiously, the smoke belching in thick volumes from the funnels; and, with every man at his post, their decks flooded with water as a preventive against fire, and hoses ready, the vessels gradually gathered way. At 10.25 the big ships were making 23 knots, and gradually drew ahead of their consorts. The _Invincible_ led, the _Inflexible_ followed at some little distance on her starboard quarter. The _Glasgow_--all on board burning with eagerness to avenge their late squadron-mates--was ordered to keep at 2 miles distance from the flagship. It was a fine, clear, bright day, comparatively warm for those latitudes, and it was easy to keep the enemy in sight. Shortly before one o'clock the two battle-cruisers opened fire with their big guns, presently concentrating on the light cruiser _Leipzig_. She was not hit, but the big shots crept closer and closer, till after about a quarter of an hour she turned away to the south-west, followed by the _Dresden_ and _Nürnberg_. At the same time the remaining German ships, the two big armoured cruisers, turned slightly to port and began to return the fire of our battle-cruisers. Thenceforward the fighting resolved itself into two battles, one between the big ships, the other between the smaller cruisers.