"Last of all we put to sea with the four best battleships, _Suvaroff_, _Alexander III._, _Borodino_, and _Orel_. Our destination was Brest, where we were to coal. Observe, therefore, that there was not with us a single torpedo-boat or a single small vessel. All such were far ahead of us.... On the 8th of October, at 8 o'clock in the evening, when it was already quite dark, we received a wireless message stating that 30 miles behind us was the transport _Kamchatka_, which had fallen behind her consorts (the cruisers _Dmitri Donskoi_ and _Aurora_) in consequence of an injury to her engines, and that several torpedo-boats were following her closely, but had not discharged any torpedoes. Admiral Enquist, who was in front with the two cruisers, was at once ordered by wireless message to slacken speed and wait for the _Kamchatka_, or to continue his course in order not to expose himself to the torpedo-boats, which, of course, also received our messages, but did not know from what spot they were sent. The Japanese, however, attempted to find out our whereabouts. While we were exchanging messages with the _Kamchatka_ we suddenly received a succession of telegrams, in excellent Russian, purporting to come from the _Kamchatka_: 'Where is the squadron?' 'Give your latitude and longitude.' 'Where is the _Suvaroff_?' These telegrams appeared to us suspicious, and, in order to assure ourselves that they were really sent by the _Kamchatka_, instead of answering we asked for the name of one of the officers of the _Kamchatka_. To this no answer was returned, and we continued our conversation with the _Kamchatka_ in cypher. At 12.55 A. M. we suddenly saw in front of us ... two long dark silhouettes, emitting quantities of smoke and evidently steaming at high speed. At the same time we saw a yellow-red rocket, such as is generally sent up by vessels in distress. A moment later a searchlight was thrown upon us from ahead.... We at once turned our searchlights on the torpedo-boats and opened fire on them. As soon as they saw that they were discovered, they turned aside, but came under the fire of the _Alexander III._, _Borodino_, and _Orel_, which were following us. About the same time our searchlights began to fall from time to time on some small vessels, apparently fishing craft, whose behavior, however, was very suspicious. They showed no lights, there was not a man on their decks, and they obstinately remained under the bows of our ships, barring their course. They were thus in a position to launch floating mines. In spite of this, however, the Admiral, as soon as he caught sight of them, ordered that the searchlights on board the _Suvaroff_ should be turned skywards, which was a signal to cease firing.