Such was the position, with the _Scharnhorst_ and _Gneisenau_ hunting them through the darkness up from the south, the _Dresden_ and _Leipzig_ between them and the land, and the _Nürnberg_ steaming down from the north. To remain together would be to sacrifice both; the _Canopus_, still in ignorance, had to be warned; and the _Monmouth_ seems to have signalled to the _Glasgow_, advising her to part company and make her escape as best she could. As senior officer, however, the decision rested with the _Glasgow's_ captain; and it would be difficult to conceive a more poignant situation. Every instinct not only of himself but of all on board bade him stay with the _Monmouth_. But the reasons for not doing so were remorseless, and had, in the event, to be obeyed. Moreover, the enemy had already been sighted steaming abreast, about four miles away, morsing with an oil lamp; and the reluctant order to depart at full speed could no longer be delayed. Half an hour later, far behind them, the watchers on the _Glasgow_ counted seventy-five flashes. On her way to rejoin von Spee, and almost by accident, the _Nürnberg_ had run across the _Monmouth_ and sunk her with point-blank fire. Sir Christopher Cradock was a Yorkshireman, and, upon the monument to his honour, unveiled two years later in York Minster, were inscribed these words from the Book of Maccabees, than which none could have more fully expressed him-- {58} God forbid that I should do this thing, To flee away from them; If our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, And let us not stain our honour. So ended the first act of this outer-sea epic. That another was to follow none knew better than von Spee. {59} CHAPTER IV THE BATTLE OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS Situated off the southeast coast of South America the group of islands, known as the Falklands, had definitely belonged to Great Britain since 1833. It consisted of about a hundred larger and smaller islands, the two chief being East and West Falkland, separated by a narrow channel of water known as the Falkland Sound. About 250 miles, at the nearest point, from Tierra del Fuego in the extreme south of the continent, they were some 300 miles distant from the Atlantic entrance of the Magellan Straits. Their climate was healthful but not attractive. Rain fell on more than half the days of the year. The seas surrounding them, even in their December midsummer, were of an arctic coldness and more often than not shrouded with mists that made navigation difficult and unpleasant. The chief industry was sheep farming, most of the farmers and shepherds being of Scottish descent; but there was a certain amount of business done at Port Stanley in the way of ship-repairing and the provision of marine stores.