nine o'clock
And when I sought further information with regard to this mysterious craft , I was informed by Ito , who seemed to know all about her , that she had been purchased by the Japanese Secret Service Department , fitted with her engine , boiler , and pumps by an ingenious Japanese engineer , and that her business was to go to and fro between Port Arthur and `` a certain place , '' ostensibly as a trader , but in reality that her skipper , a particularly bold and clever spy , might obtain information for the Japanese . The spy 's name , it appeared , was Hang-won , -- a rather ominous name , I thought , under the circumstances , -- while the name of the junk was _ Chung-sa _ . She had arrived from Port Arthur about midday , and this was Hang-won 's first essay in Japan 's service . But he had brought from Port Arthur two items of news that were likely to prove most valuable to us ; one of them being , that the Russian destroyers were being sent to sea every night to reconnoitre , and that upon their return they always showed a white light above a red , to indicate that they were Russian ; while the second item was to the effect that that day , 8th February , happened to be the name-day of Madame Stark , the wife of the Russian Admiral , and that in honour of the day a great banquet was to be given at nine o'clock that night , at the Admiral 's house , which was to be followed by a special performance at a circus which chanced to be in the town . The moment that this information was communicated to Togo , he recognised the magnificent possibilities offered by the occasion . For it was morally certain that , between the banquet and the circus , most of the officers , and possibly also a good many of the men , of the Russian fleet would be ashore , that night ; and what better opportunity for an attack upon it was likely to offer ? The chance was very much too good to be missed , and a signal was at once made for the captains of all craft , destroyers included , to repair on board the _ Mikasa _ .