There is a Japanese mineral water called "Jansen." A great deal of this water has been brought to the fleet. I tried it, and it was not bad.
The people who sorted the provisions behaved like wild wolves. There were some disgusting scenes. The crew of the Orel broke open a box and got drunk. For some reason a sailor threw himself on the doctor with raised fists, but did not succeed in hitting him. Two officers who happened to be near seized the sailor and nearly killed him. They beat his face into a pulp. It was horrible. The French saw all this, and a nice opinion they will have of the Russians.
A week before the Orel went to Saigon the captain of the Borodino ordered 4,000 eggs, hams, etc., for the crew. The crew in that ship will celebrate Easter like human beings. It will not be so in other ships.
My notebook is finished. This is the second. Can I obtain another? How much is written in these two books!—all the history of our breakages and repairs.
There is neither sight nor sound of the Japanese fleet. Will they let the third fleet join us without a fight? The Gortchakoff, Jupiter, Kieff, and Kitai went to Saigon. Cruisers escorted them. Perhaps these transports will bring us coal. There is some belonging to Russia, but will the French allow us to take it?
There are perpetual forest fires on shore. They are a beautiful sight by night. Europeans say that elephants, tigers, and panthers wander about the shore at night. The beasts feel that they are the owners. They even go up to the houses, out of which it is not safe to venture. The place is quite wild. The engineers who are making the cutting for the railway complain that the elephants cherish enmity against the telegraph-posts, and constantly tear them up. It is an interesting country, but not during such a cruise as ours.
I have not been ashore up to the present, and probably shall not go. How wearisome it all is to me! It sometimes seems that this life on board will never end. A complete apathy comes over me. Time is agonisingly long.
April 7th.—An inquiry began to-day about the sailor who attacked the officer in the Orel. If they look on the matter seriously, he will have to end his earthly existence.
There is a picture of the surrender of Port Arthur in the French papers. Their contempt for the Russians is growing.