UNDER PETER THE GREAT 31

half a mile from the town. The Tsar, so I stylehim ashore, though he would be addressed by noother name than that of Rear-Admiral on board,immediately ordered the signal of alarm to be givenand all the ships in harbour to haul out forthwith ;sending back the lieutenant with directions to hiscaptain and the captain of the Samson to keepdodging of the enemy, but not go nearer than thereach of a random 1 shot, adding that he with thewhole fleet would be out in the morning by day-light. The whole night was spent by the Russin getting their ships out of the haven, and otherpreparations for the ensuing day. The Swedesstanding off and on all night between the IslandNargen and Stirs point, 2 early in the morning, being6 men-of-war from 64 to 54 guns under the com-mand of Vice-Admiral Lillie, 3 hoisted their propercolours, and making sail came fairly into Revel Bayat the instant the Russian fleet were all under sailcoming out. After the Swedes were got far enoughin to count their numbers and observe their motions,the Vice-Admiral made the signal to tack : the St.Paul being pretty near, the hindmost of the Swedesfired at her to try, as supposed, the difference

1 ‘ Random shot—a shot made when the muzzle of the gun israised above the horizontal line and is not designed to shootdirectly or point-blank. The utmost random of any piece isabout ten times as far as the bullet will go point-blank ; and thebullet will go farthest when the piece is mounted [sic; but‘ elevated’ is meant] about 45 degrees above the level range.The space or distance of the random is reckoned from theplatform to the place where the bullet first grazes' (E. Chambers,F.R.S., Cyclopædia , 1750, vol. ii.). A ‘random shot’ had, there-fore, a well-understood range, and was not a shot fired anyhow or‘ at random.’ The range for a medium ship’s gun was perhapsfrom 1,000 to 1,200 yards, according to the piece fired.

2 MS. ‘ the Point of Surps.’ Stirs Point is at the entrance toSt. Petersburg Bay ( Baltic Pilots ii. p. 292).

3 Erik Johan Lillie.