PETERHOF 



Franz Timmerman, who taught him geometry 

 and fortification. He also had an absorbing 

 interest in boats and boating, and having been 

 told of a wonderful English boat which could 

 sail against the wind as well as with it, he 

 never rested till he verified the statement. He 

 learned fencing and riding from the Dane 

 Butenant, and paid a visit to Archangel in 

 July 1693, where he helped to build a ship. 

 He sang there lustily in the Cathedral choir. 

 Having been caught in a bad storm, he received 

 the Sacrament from the Archbishop Athanasius. 

 To commemorate his escape he carved a large 

 wooden cross, which he planted on a hill over- 

 looking the sea, with this inscription in Dutch, 

 "Skipper Peter made this cross in the year of 

 Christ, 1694." 



It was a Swiss, Fran9ois Lefort, who persuaded 

 Peter to undertake the expedition against Azov 

 in 1 695, and to go abroad to complete his educa- 

 tion. He commanded in person a bombardier 

 regiment against the Turks at Fort Azov. 

 His failure led to the beginning of his great 

 career. He sent to Austria and Prussia for 

 engineers, sappers, miners, and carpenters, getting 

 260 



