about ten o'clock
We all seemed to see it at the same instant , for in less than half a minute the signal reporting the circumstance was flying aboard nearly every craft in the fleet . But the lookouts aboard the _ Mikasa _ were evidently as wide awake as any of us , for our flags were scarcely aloft when the flagship signalled the armoured cruiser _ Asama _ to chase in the south-western board ; and in little more than an hour afterward she rejoined the fleet , accompanied by the Russian steamer _ Argun _ , as a prize . We flattered ourselves that the honour of capturing the first prize of the war had fallen to us ; but , later on , we learned , to our disgust , that when the _ Argun _ was taken into Sasebo , there were already three more prizes there to keep her company . We arrived off Mokpo about ten o'clock that morning , when the _ Akashi _ came out to meet us and make her report . We of the rank and file , so to speak , did not , of course , know at the time what was the nature of that report , which was for the Admiral 's ear alone ; but , later on , it leaked out that it was to the effect that the Russian fleet at Port Arthur had begun to move on the last day of January , by warping and towing certain of the ships out of harbour . This movement had continued on the first and second days of February , by the end of which time the entire fleet was anchored in the roadstead ; and it seemed pretty evident that Admiral Alexieff was preparing to vigorously carry the war into the enemy 's country , which was the great fear that had been haunting Togo from the moment when he received his instructions to put to sea . His dread was that the Russian fleet would forestall him by getting to sea first , steam to the southward , and , getting into touch with one or more of the craft which were certain to be watching the Japanese fleet , would lie _ perdu _ until that fleet had passed to the northward , and then fall upon and ravage the unprotected Japanese coast .