40 THE SEA. 



Carmarthen and Sir Anthony Deane, commissioner of the navy. " The Navy Board received 

 directions from the Admiralty to hire two vessels to be at the command of the Tzar when- 

 ever he should think proper to sail on the Thames," and the king made him a present of 

 a small vessel, the Royal Transport, giving orders to have such alterations and accom- 

 modations made in her as the Czar might desire. " But his great delight was to get into 

 a small-decked boat, belonging to the dockyard, and taking only Menzikoff, and three or 

 four others of his suite, to work the vessel with them, he being the helmsman ; by this 

 practice he said he should be able to teach them how to command ships when they got home. 

 Having finished their day's work, they used to resort to a public house in Great Tower 

 Street, close to Tower Hill, to smoke their pipes, and drink beer and brandy. The landlord 

 had the Tzar of Muscovy's head painted and put up for his sign." The original sign 

 remained till 1808. 



Greenwich Hospital surprised him, and King William, having one day asked him 

 how he liked his hospital -for decayed seamen, Peter answered simply, " If I were the 

 adviser of your Majesty, I should counsel you to remove your court to Greenwich, and 

 convert St. James's into a hospital." In the first week of March a sham naval fight was 

 organised near Spithead, for his amusement, eleven ships being engaged. The Postman, 

 a journal of the period, says, " The representation of a sea engagement was excellently 

 performed before the Tzar of Muscovy, and continued a considerable time, each ship having 

 twelve pounds of powder allowed; but all the bullets were locked up in the hold, for 

 fear the soldiers should mistake." The enterprising journal did not, probably, send down 

 a special representative, as would any leading paper of to-day, and the small quantity of 

 powder allowed must be a mistake. The Czar was greatly pleased with the performance, 

 and told Admiral Mitchell, who arranged the performance, that " he considered the condition 

 of an English admiral happier than that of a Tzar of Russia." On their way home 

 from Portsmouth, the Russian party, twenty-one in all, stopped a night at Godalming. 

 The sea air had done so much good to their appetites that at dinner they managed 

 to get through an entire sheep, three quarters of lamb, five ribs of beef, weighing three 

 stone, a shoulder and loin of veal, eight fowls, eight rabbits, two dozen and a half of 

 sack, and one dozen of claret. Their light breakfast consisted of half a sheep, a quarter 

 of lamb, ten pullets, twelve chickens, seven dozen eggs, salad "in proportion," three 

 quarts of brandy, and six quarts of mulled wine. 



"When residing at Deptford, he made the acquaintance of the celebrated Dr. Halley, 

 "to whom he communicated his plan of building a fleet, and in general of introducing 

 the arts and sciences into his country," and asked his opinions and advice on various 

 subjects. The doctor spoke German fluently, and the Tzar was so much pleased with 

 the philosopher's conversation and remarks that he had him frequently to dine with him; 

 and in his company he visited the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park. An important 

 concession was made by him to some leading merchants, through the influence of the 

 Marquis of Carmarthen. To' acco had baen so highly taxed that none but the wealthy 

 Russians could afford it. The Czar agreed that on paying him down 12,000 (some accounts 

 say 15,000) it should go in duty free. He stipulated that his friend Carmarthen should 

 receive five shillings for every hogshead so admitted. Peter stuck to his friends, and 



