midnight
I introduced myself to the officer in charge , who at once proceeded to explain to me the structure and mechanism of the class of mines being dealt with ; thus enabling me to understand the danger to be guarded against while handling them ; after which he conducted me to my cabin , perched high on the boat deck ; and I immediately took possession , sending my boat back to the _ Kasanumi _ with a note for young Hiraoka , requesting him to take charge during my absence , and another to my steward , instructing him to send me across such things as I immediately needed . The change was greatly the better for me ; for whereas my quarters aboard the _ Kasanumi _ were cramped and of Spartan simplicity , the captain 's cabin of the _ Koryu _ was a spacious and almost luxurious affair , handsomely and comfortably furnished , with all the accommodation that a reasonable man could wish for . Two days later our fleet weighed and proceeded to sea , leaving the _ Koryu _ at anchor , with our fourth and fifth destroyer flotillas and fourteenth torpedo-boat flotilla -- twelve craft in all -- to protect her . My orders were to proceed to sea in time to reach Port Arthur roadstead at midnight of the 12th , sow the harbour approach with mines according to a certain plan , and then retire , with the assurance that , if attacked , there would be a force of ample strength lying in wait to protect me . One part of my duty -- after laying the mines -- was to endeavour to entice the Russian fleet to come out in pursuit of me . Experience had taught us that , for some reason with which we were unacquainted , the Russian ships invariably followed a certain course when leaving the harbour , while , when returning , they as invariably followed another ; my instructions , therefore , were to sow my mines over the area by which the ships returned to port , while leaving free that area traversed by them when coming out ; the reason of course being , that as many ships as possible should be enticed to come out , in the hope that many of them would be destroyed upon their return . The night of the 12th was a wretched one in some respects for our purpose .