While things have been going so badly with the Russians
on land, they have had a considerable success at sea. Early in the week three powerful Russian cruisers under Admiral Shydloff burst out of Vladivostok and pro- ceeded to the straits between Japan and Korea, where they managed to torpedo and sink two Japanese hired transports, trading steamers of 6,000 tons each. Some of the troops on board were captured and some escaped in boats, but over a thousand are said to have been drowned. A Japanese squadron appeared too late to save the tatuasports, and it is believed• that, owing to the heavy weather, the Russian raiders escaped. It is suggested that Skrydloff's ultimata aim is to join hands with the Port Arthur squadron. This view is supported by the fact that the Russians have made immense efforts to clear the entrance to Port Arthur, and that during the week a Russian cruiser, accompanied by a flotilla of destroyers, successfully negotiated the passage to the open sea. But though this naval activity is, no doubt, disagreeable to the Japanese, the Russians have learnt too late the essential lesson that ships, like trumps, are meant to be played boldly, and not "bottled."
