But still a third harassing attack was in store for the Russian fleet. While one division of his torpedo-boat destroyers was thus carrying confusion and dismay into the ranks of his opponents, Admiral Togo, holding his main fleet within the shelter of the Elliot Islands, was quietly preparing for a larger and more far-reaching _coup_. This was to be nothing less than the operation of "corking up the bottle," in other words sinking ships at the entrance to Port Arthur Harbor, and blocking the fairway against passage of the Russian ships. It was an enterprise in some ways similar to the famous exploit of Lieutenant Hobson of the _Merrimac_ at Santiago-de-Cuba during the Spanish-American War, but in the present case the blockading fleet attained less success. [Sidenote: The Fire Ships] Five old steamers were chartered for the purpose. Their names were the _Tenshin Maru_, the _Bushu Maru_, the _Buyo Maru_, the _Hokoku Maru_, and the _Jinsen Maru_. Two of these, under the names of the _Rohilla_ and the _Brindisi_, were formerly in the service of the Peninsular and Oriental Company. It may here be remarked that the spirit animating all ranks of the Japanese in this war was shown by the numbers of volunteers who came forward for the dangerous task of manning the doomed steamers. The difficulty, indeed, was not to find sufficient men, but to select the limited force required without giving offence to the remainder of the host who sought to share in the glorious risk. At last, however, the officers and crews were chosen, and the vessels, having been carefully filled with heavy stones and explosives, left for Port Arthur on the morning of the 23rd of February, escorted by a flotilla of torpedo boats and destroyers. [Sidenote: Fire and Searchlight]