UNDER PETER THE GREAT 45

made prisoner of war, with about 20 more, but issince dead in Marstrand 1 Castle. The Egudel, aftercareening and repairing, sailed from Archangel, and,passing the North Cape the last of November, withmuch ado got in and wintered about 25 leagues fromTrondhjem, losing near half her men through theasperity of cold this season.

XII. PROCEEDINGS IN 1716.

Officers of all ranks were advanced this winter,and great preparations made at St. Petersburg andRevel; several ships laden with all manner of stores ;and men-of-war, designed for the summer’s expedi-tion, ready to sail from Revel the first open water,to meet the rest of their fleet and join the Danes andother maritime Powers at Copenhagen. The Russarmy was also to march thither, part by land andpart on board the galleys; a project being formed inconcert with the Danes to make a descent in Scania. 2On the 20th of April, 1716, the squadron sailed fromRevel under the command of Captain-CommodoreSievers, and, proceeding as far as Bornholm, receivedadvice of the Swedish fleet consisting of 23 men-of-war lying before Copenhagen ; and, holding a councilof war, they took a resolution to go back, and arrivedagain at Revel by the 14th day of May. The Russships in the North Sea assembled at Flekkero inNorway ; whither came the Pearl, Captain Bering, toreinforce them, and they were joined by the Egudel,Captain Dearie, on the last of April ; as also in Mayby the Marlborough, Captain Bredale; the Devon-shire, Captain Thofft; the Portsmouth, CaptainEckoff; the Strafford, Captain Sinavin ; and theSamson, Captain Block; from Holland and England:

1 MS. ‘Masterland’ (see Norway Pilot , i. p. 418).

2 MS. ‘ Schonen,’ the former Swedish province of Shane.