UNDER PETER THE GREAT 27

serve as youngest captain during his Majesty’spleasure.

Last of all Captain-Commodore Rays’ sentencewas published ; importing that seeing his two com-manding officers were, by their ships striking on therocks, rendered incapable of pursuing the enemy ;and he had not taken the command upon him, normade use of the excellent opportunity to take ordestroy the enemy’s three ships: for this act ofcowardice he was condemned by the court to becarried to the place of execution, and immediatelyto be shot to death. In pursuance of the sentencehe was directly led to the post, but a few paces dis-tant ; and a file of musketeers being ready, theword of command was given to present their arms,when the Tsar’s pardon was read, implying thechange of his punishment into a perpetual banish-ment in Siberia. The fear of death had seized himwith that violence that when they lifted up his capfrom over his eyes, and took him up from his knees,he said in the Russian tongue, ‘ Luchey Polley'(’Tis better shoot me). He was carried to anadjacent house, and let blood, and in two or threedays’ time sent into exile, where lingering a few yearshe died in Siberia, being never perfectly recoveredfrom the effects of his fright. The proceedings ofthis court-martial are the more minutely particularised,as being in some circumstances, I believe, unprece-dented till that time, and in consequence made somenoise in the world.

Several galleys were built this winter ; and manyofficers advanced, Scheltinga restored, and Sieversraised to the rank of Commodore. Captain AndrewSimpson, sent from Asof with 4 ships to Con-stantinople after the capitulation of Pruth, was uponhis return commanded to bring round to the Balticthe three ships built at Archangel in 1711 with the