begin with, but seemed to slacken very quickly, all casualties occurring in this ship almost immediately.  First, the foremost funnel of her went, secondly the foremast, and she was badly on fire aft, then the second funnel went, and lastly the third funnel, and I saw she was making for the beach on North Keeling Island, where she grounded at 11.20 a.m.  I gave her two more broadsides and left her, to pursue a merchant ship which had come up during the action.

2.  Although I had guns on this merchant ship at odd times during the action, I had not fired, and as she was making off fast, I pursued and overtook her at 12.10, firing a gun across her bows and hoisting International Code Signal to stop, which she did.  I sent an armed boat, and found her to be the ss. Buresk, a captured British collier, with 18 Chinese crew, 1 English steward, 1 Norwegian cook, and a German prize crew of 3 officers, 1 warrant officer, and 12 men.  The ship unfortunately was sinking, so I took all on board, fired four shells into her, and returned to Emden, passing men swimming in the water, for whom I left two boats I was towing from Buresk.

3.  On arriving again off Emden, she still had her colours up at mainmast head.  I inquired by signal, International Code, “Will you surrender?” and received a reply in Morse, “What signal?  No signal books.”  I then made in Morse, “Do you surrender?” and subsequently, “Have you received my signal?” to neither of which did I get an answer.  The German officers on board gave me to understand that the captain would never surrender, and therefore, though very reluctantly, I again fired at her at 4.30 p.m., ceasing at 4.35, as she showed white flags and hauled down her ensign by sending a man aloft.

4.  I then left Emden and returned and picked up the Buresk’s two boats, rescuing two sailors (5.0 p.m.) who had been in the water all day.  I returned and sent in one boat to Emden, manned by her own prize crew from Buresk and one officer, and stating I would return to their assistance next morning.

5.  I lay on and off all night, and communicated with Direction Island at 8.0 a.m., November 10th, to find that the Emden’s party, consisting of three officers and forty men, one launch and two cutters, had seized and provisioned a 70-ton schooner (the Ayesha), having four Maxims with two belts to each.  They left the previous night at six o’clock.  The wireless station was entirely destroyed, one cable cut, one damaged, and one intact.  I borrowed a doctor and two assistants, and proceeded as fast as possible to Emden’s assistance.