These were from the Commodore of the convoy,--the commander of a torpedo destroyer, or a simple officer of the Naval Reserve in charge of a motor trawler armed with a quickfiring gun.
The steamers would begin belching smoke and hoisting anchors without knowing whither they were going.

The official document was opened only at the moment of departure.

Ulysses would break the seals and examine the paper, understanding with facility its formal language, written in a common cipher.

The first thing that he would look out for was the port of destination, then, the order of formation.

They were to sail in single file or in a double row, according to the number of vessels.