The fleet practiced incessantly during the voyage, both with the guns and in battle tactics, and came home a much more efficient fighting instrument than when it started sixteen months before.
The best men of command rank in our own service were confident that the fleet would go round in safety, in spite of the incredulity of foreign critics.

Even they, however, did not believe that it was wise to send the torpedo craft around.

I accordingly acquiesced in their views, as it did not occur to me to consult the lieutenants.

But shortly before the fleet started, I went in the Government yacht Mayflower to inspect the target practice off Provincetown.

I was accompanied by two torpedo boat destroyers, in charge of a couple of naval lieutenants, thorough gamecocks; and I had the two lieutenants aboard to dine one evening.
Towards the end of the dinner they could not refrain from asking if the torpedo flotilla was to go round with the big ships.