6n CHAPTER XIV.

THE NAVAL ATTACKS ON WEI-HAI-WEI.

rrHE Japanese fleet left Teng-chow to return to its stationoff Wei-hai-wei onFebruary -*-2nd. The wind had fallen, but there wasa heavyswell on the sea, and it was bitterly cold. According to AdmiralIto's reporton that day," the cold was so intense that the ships were covered with ice, and blocks of ice three to liveinches thick.were frozen into the muzzles of the guns."

his boat through the narrow rockychannel at the south end of the boom, andlaying his vessel alongside ofit,tried to destroy the obstruction from the inside. The boat was rolling heavily, for a swell was breaking in the shallow water near the shore, and there was serious danger ot the thin steel sides of No. 6 being stove in by collisionwithoneof the heavy baulks of timber that floated the hawsers of the boom. But with infinite difficulty a heavycharge was attached, connection was made with the firing battery on boardby aninsulatedwire, and thenNo. 6 drew off, and Kozaki pressed the firing key. But the charge would not explode. He then examined the wire, and found that it had been damaged, andits insulation destroyed by dragging across the fluke of the torpedo boat's anchor as she went asternbefore trying to explode the charge. With somecopper wireand indiarubber packing he repaired the damaged conductor, and then again went astern and closed the electric circuit. But still there was no result.

Next day,February 3rd, the weather was fine and not quite so cold, and the bombardmentof the island forts was resumed, the fleet and the captured batteries of Lung-miao-tsui and Luchueh-tsui shelling the Chinese forts andships, which replied vigorously. The little fort on I-tao, in the middle of the easternchannel, was exposedto the fire of the land batteriesand some of the ships. Itreplied pluckily to the gunson the land,making good use ofits two heavyguns mounted on disappearing carriages. It was in charge of an English commander, Mr. Mellows, formerly a seaman gunner in the British navy. At noon Admiral Ito signalled to the fleet to cease firing. During the afternoon snow again fellheavily.

But Kozaki was one of thosemen whodo not mean to be beaten. He gave up the idea ot firinghiscountermine by electricity,andresolved to destroy the boomby firing three smallcharges close together,after fixing them near the heavier charge'already in position. The explosives were what are known as hand-charges, fitted with mechanical fuses, and fired by pulling a long lanyard— rather dangerous weaponsto handle in the dark, and on rough water. To get them properly fixed Kozaki had to climbout over the bow of No.6, on to the top of the floating boom, and he was soon wet to the skin and covered with ice. With the shells whistling and ricochetting near him, he completed his work. Then he scrambled back on boardhis ship, and she went astern for the third time. As thelong lanyardscame taut all the charges exploded with aburst of flame that plainly showed the position of the daring torpedo boat. Full speedahead she dashed out through the wreck of the boom, the Chinese guns on I-tao and the Japanese with the captured cannon of the shore batteries exchanging fire over her as she sped out to sea.

It was known that there was an opening between the end of the boom that closed the eastern channel and the land close under the forts, but it was narrow, and rendereddangerous by rocks and shoals. Just under I-tao Island there was another small opening. During the night between the 3rd and 4th, an attempt was madeby some of the torpedo boats to destroy theboom near itssouthern end. Thenight was very darkand bitterly cold. Thin ice was forming on the sea, and broke crackling round the bows as the torpedo boats forced their way through it. The Chinese torpedo boats were acting as picket boats just inside the boom. 'ihey discovered the approach of the Japanese, and the forts and Ting's ships opened fire, sending shells andbullets at random overthe water outside the boom. Only one of the attacking boats effected anything. This was No. 6, commanded by a first-class warrant officer,Kozaki f at ijiro. This braveman succeeded inrunning