UNDER PETER THE GREAT 11

built the Royal Sovereign, and has since given theworld a demonstration of his great genius that wayby building the Tsar several ships, from 90 to16 guns, that may vie with the best in Europe forthe part that concerns the builder. These twogentlemen were employed on the Ladoga Lake ;for the Tsar at that time, not being master of allCarelia, had some small vessels there to annoy theenemy’s fishing and commerce; and by frequentlandings destroy the villages and carry off thecattle.

When the fortifications at Kronslot were broughtto a considerable state of perfection, the Russfrigates and snows used yearly to descend [theriver], and lie in a half moon under cover of theartillery. The Swedish fleet would all come, can-

the Royal Navy , p. 64 and also p. 285). A Mr. Harding built theBoyne at Chatham in 1692 (Charnock, Hist. Marine Archil .,vol. ii. p. 433). Pepys had written in 1686 that Mr. Harding,assistant at Deptford, was ‘ a very slow man, nor ever built a shipin his life’ (J. R. Tanner, in English Histor. Review , January1899, p. 63). Professor Laughton has supplied me with the fol-lowing minutes of a court-martial held on board the St. Michael,February 4, 1695-6 :—

‘ Enquiry was made into the occasion of the loss of his Majesty’sship the Royal Sovereign which was burnt at her moorings nearGillingham, in the River Medway, about 5 aclock in the morningon the 27th day of January, 1695-6 ; which matter having beenstrictly examined into by the Court, It appeared to the Courtthat the fire began in a cabin near the entering port, where an oldman, one Thomas Couch, lay, who left a candle in the cabin andwas himself upon deck, it being his watch. And the Court dofind that he has been guilty of negligently performing his dutyand it is resolved that he falls under the 27th Art. and the Courtdoes adjudge that the said Thomas Couch shall be carried in aboat with a halter about his neck on board the hulk againstChatham dock next musterday, and there receive 31 stripes on hisbare back, and that he be afterwards carried on shore and deliveredto the Marshall and be imprisoned during life, and that he forfeitall the pay due to him to the chest at Chatham.’ (See list of 1699in Nav. Rec. Soc ., vol. v. p. 194.)