4

THE RUSSIAN FLEET

i ioo miles above Astrakhan. In a word, little is tobe said in favour of the ships built before the Tsar’sreturn from his travels ; to pass them by in silence isthe highest compliment.

In this state stood his Navy when he travelledinto England and Holland ; where he gratified hisnatural curiosity of inspecting into the theory andpractical parts of ship-building, especially in Holland,with very great assiduity; whilst others in hisretinue 1 actually applied to learn the arts of mast-making, sail-making, and other trades allied toshipping. Liberty was also indulged him of engagingin his service masters in these several sciences.At his return into Russia, having quelled the rebellionof the Streletz fomented by his sister , 2 he began inearnest to new model his country: and findinghimself sovereign of vast dominions, and absolutemaster of the lives and fortunes of innumerablesubjects, without delay he set about the accomplish-ment of his great designs, especially those that had atendency to promote his darling project of a NavalPower.

At this crisis Count Golovin 3 was Admiral, and

1 MS. £ Retinew.’ 2 The Tsarevna Sophia.

3 Feodore Alexeievitz Golovin - born 1650; died August14, 1706. Went to China and concluded the celebrated Treatyof Nertschinsk, August 27, 1689. In 1696 Commissary-Generalin Schein’s expedition against Asof. On May 1, 1699, withoutany knowledge of sea-affairs {ohne etwas vom Seewesen zu verstehen),High Admiral of the Asof fleet. ‘ Golovin under Peter’s super-vision conducted the whole policy, concluded alliances, and unitedin his own person the highest Civil and Military offices.’ In 1700Field-Marshal and Generalissimo against the Swedes. The titleof Count was almost unknown in Russia before the time of Peterthe Great, who induced the Emperor Leopold I. to create Golovina Count of the Holy Roman Empire. Golovin was thus the firstRussian on whom the title of Count was conferred. His familywas, however, ancient and distinguished (Russiand’s Geschichteund Politik dargestellt in der Geschichte des russischen hohen Adels ;by Dr. Arthur Kleinschmidt; Cassel, 1877 ; p. 168).