S INCE we last wrote there has been no sensational action
in the theatre of war, but the drift of events has been steadily in favour of the Japanese. So considerable, indeed, has been the total naval loss inflicted on Russia that Japan may now be said to have gained the command of the sea in the Far East, with all the advantages which that implies. The actual events recorded since our last issue are as follows :—On February 11th the Russian " mining ship " Yenisei' was accidentally sunk at Port Arthur, ninety-five men and the captain perishing with her, by a Russian mine which had become detached from its position. On the night of February 13th, or early morning of February 14th, the Japanese made a second torpedo attack, and in spite of a blinding snow-storm, succeeded in torpedoing and damaging the Russian armoured cruiser Boyarin,'—a modern vesseL On February 14th the Russian cruiser Kazan' was struck by a Japanese shell at Port Arthur. In all, ten Russian war vessels have been placed—temporarily, at any rate—hors de combat. While Russia's naval force has thus been wasting, Japan's has been increased by the arrival of her two new and very powerful cruisers purchased from the Argentine, which reached Japan on Tuesday.
