66

THE RUSSIAN FLEET

Captain Turnhoud; Varakiel, Captain Stegman;Raphael, Captain Chapezan ; and snow Diana, Cap-tain Lopakin. This squadron engaged and took aship of 44 guns, another of 28, and a snow of 12,sent out in quest of the Samson and Lansdowne.The day the news arrived a ship was to be launchedand named the Isaak, but the Tsar upon this successcalled her the Isaak Victoria. The Pearl and othercruisers had also taken several prizes. By the 2 ndof June the cruisers in general were returned toRevel, where they had orders to wait the arrival ofthe fleet from Kronslot under the command of Vice-Admiral Peter Alexeievitz, whose departure had beenretarded some days by the following accident. Theship Lesnoy, Rear-Admiral Gordon and CaptainBatting commanders, built by the Tsar himself, anddrawing 22 feet water, as she was towing out of thehaven, where is at most but 24 feet, came upon thefluke 1 of an anchor, that ran through her bottom,and she bilged and sank. This misfortune muchchagrined the Tsar ; however, at last leaving direc-tions with Prince Menshikoff and Captain Lane,his chief engineer at Kronslot, to use all possibleefforts to weigh her up, he sailed with the fleet andarrived the 20th of June at Revel. Prize-moneywas distributed amongst the ships concerned in thelate action with the three Swedes ; Nahum Sinavinmade Captain-Commodore, and some other com-manding officers advanced for that service. On the23rd, after some alteration in the appointment of theofficers, the whole fleet sailed from Revel, and the27th put into Hango Head, where the General -Admiral lay with the galleys. Several cruisers weresent out, particularly the Samson, Captain Zotoff,and the New Kronslot, Captain Count Golovin, toobserve the motion of the British 2 squadron. On the1 MS. ‘fflook.’ 2 Under Adm. Sir John Norris.