11.0 A.M., 5th. INFLEXIBLE, INDEFATIGABLE, INDOMITABLE, DUBLIN, WEYMOUTH, CHATHAM RENDEZVOUS OFF PANTELLARIA. DUBLIN SENT TO MALTA TO COAL AND THEN TAKE 2 DESTROYERS TO TROUBRIDGE; INDOMITABLE SENT TO BIZERTA TO COAL. MILNE WITH INFLEXIBLE, INDEFATIGABLE, WEYMOUTH AND CHATHAM STEERS FOR MERIDIAN 10°E. 3.35 P.M., 5th. GLOUCESTER REPORTS GOEBEN AT MESSINA. 7.30 A.M., 6th. MILNE LEAVES HIS PATROL LINE AND STEAMS EAST. 5.0 P.M., 6th. GOEBEN LEAVES MESSINA. 10.45 P.M., 6th. GOEBEN TURNS SOUTH-EAST. 0.8 A.M., 7th. TROUBRIDGE RESOLVES TO INTERCEPT HER AND STEERS SOUTH. 3.51 A.M., 7th. TROUBRIDGE TURNS INTO ZANTE. NOON, 7th. MILNE ARRIVES MALTA. 4.40 P.M., 7th. GLOUCESTER OFF MATAPAN, GIVES UP, BY ORDERS, HER TENACIOUS CHASE. At 1 a.m. on August 8 Sir Berkeley Milne, having collected and coaled his three battle cruisers at Malta, set out at a moderate speed on an Easterly course in pursuit of the _Goeben_. At this juncture the Fates moved a blameless and punctilious Admiralty clerk to declare war upon Austria. The code telegram ordering hostilities to be commenced against Austria was inadvertently released without any authority whatever. The mistake was repaired a few hours later; but the first message reached Sir Berkeley Milne at 2 p.m. on August 8 when he was half-way between Sicily and Greece. His original war orders, had prescribed that in the event of a war with Austria he should in the first instance concentrate his fleet near Malta, and faithful to these instructions he turned his ships about and desisted from the pursuit of the _Goeben_. Twenty-four hours were thus lost before orders could reach him to resume it. But the _Goeben_ herself had come to a standstill. Admiral Souchon was cruising irresolutely about the Greek islands endeavouring to make sure that he would be admitted by the Turks to the Dardanelles. He dallied thirty-six hours at Denusa and was forced to use his tell-tale wireless on several occasions. It was not till the evening of the 10th that he entered the Dardanelles and the Curse descended irrevocably upon Turkey and the East. * * * * *