Reports were received of aeroplanes having been seen over the Orkneys on the evening of the 10th, and the _Centurion_ reported having sighted an airship north of the Shetlands on the same evening. Little credence was attached to these reports, which in the early days of the War were very frequently received. _August 11th._--The _Iron Duke_ left Scapa and rejoined the Battle Fleet at 5 P.M. in Lat. 60.8 N., Long. 3.28 W. The Battle Fleet was then exercised in forming line of battle, and also carried out sub-calibre gun practice. The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron joined after completing its northern sweep and was detached to Scapa to fuel at 8 P.M. The 3rd Cruiser Squadron, 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, and 4th Flotilla, having completed their examination of the Norwegian coast, returned, some to Scapa and some to Cromarty, to fuel. The 2nd Cruiser Squadron returned to a position N.E. by E., 30 miles from Kinnaird Head. The _Drake_, flying the Flag of Rear-Admiral W. L. Grant, which had joined the Grand Fleet, was dispatched to search the coast of the Faroe Islands for possible enemy bases. The 10th Cruiser Squadron, consisting of the old cruisers of the “Edgar” class, had by this time been established on a northern patrol area between the Shetlands and the Norwegian coast, under the command of Rear-Admiral Dudley de Chair. On this day orders were given to establish Loch Ewe, on the north-west coast of Scotland, as a secondary coaling base for the Fleet, and Rear-Admiral Richard P. F. Purefoy was appointed to take charge of the base. A week of war had now elapsed without any move whatever being made on the part of the High Sea Fleet; the only German naval activities had been mine-laying in southern waters during the first two days of the War, together with some submarine activity in the North Sea. The British Fleet during the week had been largely occupied in boarding all merchant vessels sighted, and in instituting as strict a blockade as was possible. [Illustration: THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, CAPTAIN OF THE FLEET (COMMODORE LIONEL HALSEY), AND THE FLAG LIEUTENANT (LIEUT.-COMMANDER HERBERT FITZHERBERT), ON BOARD H. M. S. “IRON DUKE”] _August 12th._--The Battle Fleet to the westward of the Orkneys (noon position Lat. 59.20 N., Long. 4.12 W.) was exercised during the forenoon and afternoon at battle tactics and carried out gunnery practices between 4 and 8 P.M.; it proceeded then to Scapa Flow to fuel, arriving at daylight on the 15th, with the exception of the 3rd Battle Squadron, which went to Loch Ewe to coal, and to test the suitability of this base and its capability for defence against submarine attack. The 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron, which had been fuelling at Scapa, left before dark on the 12th to cruise west of the Orkneys with orders to economise fuel in view of a projected operation to the southward.