Page:The New Far East (1906).djvu/87

68 the "Variag" should make a dash and attempt to escape. It seems that the commander of the "Koreitz" refused to do this, and insisted on being permitted to go out also. To this the commander of the "Variag" finally consented, although in so doing he completely destroyed whatever chance he had of saving his own ship. Alone, the "Variag" with her speed, might have got away, but handicapped by the "Koreitz" the attempt was futile. So, shortly before noon the two ships weighed anchor and steamed slowly out into the bay.

As to what happened to the British launch bearing the protest of the three neutral commanders, here again the facts have been officially suppressed. But such facts have a way of leaking out. There are two versions of the incident. The more accepted one is that the launch reached the flagship, and that while the officer was boarding her the first shell fired by the Japanese fleet at the outcoming Russian ships went screaming across the bay. It was then too late. Another version is that the launch had almost reached the flagship when the first shot was fired, and that it was compelled to turn back without being able to deliver the protest. The haze prevented the watchers on shore from being able to determine positively whether the launch gained the flagship in time. It is openly asserted and believed among foreigners in Korea that when Admiral Uriu saw that the British launch wanted to speak to him, suspecting the object of the mission, he hoisted the signal to commence firing and began the fight, although the enemy was then about four miles away. At any