Most spectacular was the career of the Emden, a third-class cruiser, which sailed from Japanese waters at the same time as the Koenigsberg.  Through the ability of her commander, Captain Karl von Mueller, she earned the soubriquet “Terror of the East,” for by using a clever system of supply ships she was able to raid eastern waters for ten weeks without making a port or otherwise running the risk of leaving a clue by which British ships might find her.  Her favorite occupation was that of stopping enemy merchantmen which she sank.  But her captain always allowed one—­the last one—­of her prizes to remain afloat, and in this he sent to the nearest port the officers, passengers, and crews of those that were destroyed.  At times he used prizes as colliers, putting them under command of his petty officers.

By way of diversion, Captain von Mueller steamed into the harbor of Madras in the Bay of Bengal and opened with his guns on the suburbs of the town, setting on fire two huge oil tanks there.  The fort there returned the fire, but the Emden after half an hour sailed away unharmed.  She had been enabled to come near the British guns on shore by flying the French flag, which she continued to display until her guns began to boom.  She then left the waters of Bengal Bay, but not before she had ended the journey of $30,000,000 worth of exports to India, and had sent to the bottom of the sea some $15,000,000 worth of imports.  Twenty-one steamers had been her victims, their total value having been about $3,250,000, and their cargoes were worth at least $15,000,000.  Very expensive the British found her, and they were willing to go to any length to end her career.  They curtailed her activities somewhat when the Yarmouth captured the converted liner Markomannia, which was one of her colliers, and recaptured the Greek freighter Pontoporos, which had been doing the same duty.  This took place off the coast of Sumatra.

But Von Mueller was undaunted, even though his coal problem was becoming serious.  He knew that the Yarmouth had sailed from Penang near Malacca and that she was not at that base, since she was searching for his own vessel.  He therefore conceived the daring exploit of making a visit to Penang while the Yarmouth was still away.  He came within ten miles of the harbor on the 28th of October, and disguised his ship by erecting a false funnel made of canvas upheld by a wooden frame, much like theatrical scenery.  This gave the Emden four funnels, such as the Yarmouth carried.  Coming into the harbor in the twilight of the dawn, she was taken by those on shore to be the British ship, not a hostile gun ready for her.