This order was at once carried out, quietly and deliberately--for there was plenty of time on hand, the _Chitose_, Admiral Kotaoka's flagship, and her four consorts leading, followed by the _Kasagi_ and her four consorts, under Admiral Dewa; these being followed in turn by the _Akitsushima_ and her three consorts, under Admiral Uriu. These three squadrons, with that which had proceeded to sea some hours previously, under the leadership of the younger Togo, to draw the Russians into the eastern strait, constituted the protected cruiser division, to which had been assigned the duty of attacking and harassing the enemy's rear. Following these went the main battle squadron, with the _Mikasa_, flying Togo's flag, proudly leading, followed by the battleships _Shikishima, Fuji_, and _Asahi_, with the new and powerful cruisers _Kasuga_ and _Nisshin_ bringing up the rear. Then, at a short interval, followed the _Idzumo_, flying Admiral Kamimura's flag, and the _Iwate, Yakumo, Adzuma, Asama_, and _Tokiwa_, in the order named, every ship flaunting two big battle-flags in the morning breeze. Once clear of the harbour, we parted company from the protected cruiser division, which headed away South-South-East, to get in the rear of the enemy, while we of the battle-line steered a trifle to the south of east for the battleground which Togo had selected. On the port side of the line steamed a flotilla of Japan's fastest destroyers, told off by Togo to act as dispatch boats, in the event of the flagship's wireless apparatus being put out of action, or her masts shot away. Once clear of the land, we soon ran into an atmosphere of haze and a rising sea which set the long line of ships rolling ponderously; and as the vessels rolled and plunged, flinging heavy showers of spray over their weather bows, each captain stood in his chart-room, with a chart of the strait spread open on the table before him, anxiously awaiting the next news of the enemy. These charts had been, for convenience' sake, carefully divided up into a series of numbered squares; and about nine o'clock the expected message arrived. It ran--"The enemy is in two hundred and three," that being the number of the square on the chart occupied by the Russian fleet at that moment. No sooner was the message decoded and its purport made known than mutual congratulations were exchanged; for even as the fall of 203 Metre Hill into the hands of our soldiers had been the prelude to the surrender of Port Arthur, so now the fact of the Russian fleet being in square 203 on the chart was accepted as an omen of another victory.