Nine o'clock
That was excellent . If we held on upon that course we should cross the bows of the Russians at such a distance as would enable us to pass unseen , and then come up from the southward in the enemy 's rear , so cutting him off from Port Arthur and rendering it impossible for him to avoid a fight . Shortly after clearing the harbour , the _ Asama _ and her attendant cruisers parted company with us , striking off to the westward , with the object of working round in the rear of the Russians , and again I mentally complimented Togo upon his astuteness . Nine o'clock came , and a few minutes later there arrived a wireless message from the Admiral for our squadron to change course thirty-four degrees to the westward . I wondered what this might portend , for we had been receiving almost continuous wireless messages from the squadron off Port Arthur , the latest of which told us that the Russians , although undoubtedly intending a sortie , had not yet started . I again visited the chart-room , and with Shiraishi 's assistance discovered that our new course would bring us within about seven miles south-east of Encounter Rock about noon . `` Four bells '' had just gone tinkling along the line of the Japanese ships , informing those whom it might concern that the hour was ten o'clock in the morning , when a fresh wireless message came from our blockading squadron , informing us that at last the Russian fleet was actually steaming out of Port Arthur harbour , with battle-flags flying , bands playing , and the ship 's companies singing the Russian National Anthem , with the battleship _ Tsarevich _ , Vitgeft 's flagship , leading .