two o'clock in the afternoon
Peal after peal of `` Banzais '' swept over the sullen , turbulent waters of the harbour , to be taken up and repeated by the thousands who thronged the wharves ashore , and who seemed to have sprung from nowhere in an instant ; and before the shouts died away thin curls of light brown smoke were already rising from the funnels of the fleet and six fast transport steamers which were lying a little nearer the shore . Half an hour later , the blare of bands was heard ashore , one of the wharves was hurriedly cleared of people , and presently soldiers were seen marching down on to that wharf and aboard a whole fleet of lighters that were lying alongside . It was indicative of the thoroughness with which the Japanese authorities had thought out every minutest detail , that within three hours , three thousand troops , horse , foot , and artillery , with all their kit and camp equipment complete , were transferred from the shore to the transports , and the latter had signalled that they were ready to get under way . It was not , however , until shortly before two o'clock in the afternoon that the signal was made for the fleet to weigh and proceed to sea , by which time every ship was under a full head of steam ; and then the fleet , which up to then had lain quiescent , burst into strenuous but orderly activity . Officers on the several bridges seized megaphones and shouted orders through them ; boatswain 's whistles shrilled and boatswain 's lungs bellowed , `` Clear lower deck ! Hands up anchor , ahoy ! '' the massive cables began to quiver and clank as they were hove in ; the flagship became a very rainbow of rapidly changing signal flags ; answering pennants appeared like magic and vanished again ; hundreds of sampans and craft of every description -- anything and everything that would float , apparently -- loaded with men and women , all frantic with patriotic excitement , put off from the shore and formed a sort of lane for the fleet to steam through , the men yelling `` Banzai ! ''