THE IMPERIAL WORKMAN. 



37 



entirely with his own hands, to the astonishment of all the shipwrights ; they could not 

 conceive how a person o his high rank could submit to work till the sweat ran down his 

 face, or where he could have learned to handle the tools so dexterously/' While in the dock- 

 yard he was entered in the books as a ship-carpenter, and conformed in every way to its 

 regulations. He was known among the workman as Pieter Zimmerman, sometimes as Pieter 

 Bass, or Master Peter. Dutch authorities speak of his simple habits ; he was an early 

 riser, lighted his own fire, and frequently cooked his own food while living in the cottage. 

 When any one wished to speak to him, " he would go with his adze in his hand, and sit 

 down on a rough log of timber for a short time, but seemed always anxious to resume and 



OLD DOCKYARD AT DEPTFOHD. 



finish the work on which he had been employed. " An English nobleman visited the yard, and 

 asked the superintendent to point out the Czar to him unnoticed. This was done, and the 

 superintendent, seeing that the Czar was resting for a moment, called out to him, " Pieter 

 Zimmerman, why don't you assist those men ? " Peter immediately got up and helped to 

 shoulder the heavy log they were carrying. He would lend a helping hand at everything con- 

 nected with ships, even rope and sail making, and smith's work. Once, at Miiller's manufactory, 

 at Istia, he forged several bars of iron, and put his own mark on them, making his companions 

 blow the bellows and fetch the coals. The Czar insisted upon receiving the same payment as 

 the other workmen, and bought a pair of shoes with the money, remarking " I have earned 

 them well, by the sweat of my brow, with hammer and anvil." Peter finished his labours at 

 ship-carpentering by assisting to put together a yacht, which, at the suggestion of one of 

 the burgomasters, was to be presented to him as a souvenir of his visit to Holland. He 



