SHIPS AND CHARTERS

Previous to the reign of Queen Elizabeth, England was of but

little account as a maritime nation.

In that reign our mercantile it gradually increased under At the Restoration (1603)

marine first became considerable, and the reigns of James I. and Charles I. the British shipping cleared outwards amounted to 95,266 tons; about ninety years later it amounted to 190,533 tons, and it has steadily increased until the present day. Last year out of a total of 43,700,000 tons of shipping cleared from British ports, British shipping amounted to 28,000,000 tons or 64 per cent. of the whole. In addition to this the tonnage of coasting vessels cleared amounted to 30,800,000 tons. Until about seventy years ago the whole of our foreign trade was done by means of sailing vessels, but the introduction of steam navigation gave an immense impetus to our carrying trade, and at the present time Great Britain possesses more than half the merchant service of the world, which means that half the over-зea commerce of the world is carried under the British flag.

The Ship's Papers.-Every British vessel usually carries on board certain documents, which are known as the "Ship's Papers." The papers which are usually found on board a British merchant vessel (i.e., a vessel carrying cargo, &c.) are: (1) The Certificate of Registry; (2) the Ship's Log; (3) the Ship's Articles; (4) the Crew List or Muster Roll; (5) the Bill of Health, when necessary; (6) the Bills of Lading; (7) the Manifest; (S) the Clearance Certificate; and, when the vessel has been chartered, (9) the Charter Party. In addition to these there is sometimes found (10) the Builder's Certificate or the Bill of Sale.

The Certificate of Registry is a document granted by the Registrar (the Collector of Customs) of the port where the vessel has been registered, and is the legal proof of her nationality. It usually specifies amongst other particulars the name and description of the vessel, her tonnage, the name of her master, and the names of the owners.

The Ship's Log is a book in which are recorded the vessel's daily progress, the winds and weather encountered, and other particulars respecting the vessel and voyage.

The Ship's Articles are the agreements signed by each seaman. They specify the man's rank on board, wages to be paid, term for which engaged, food to be provided, and other conditions.

The Crew List or Muster Roll contains the name, &c., of every person on board.

The Bill of Health is a certificate given by a Consul or other official at the port whence the vessel sailed, stating whether or not any infectious disease was prevalent at that place at the time of departure. The following is a specimen of this document :

Bill of Health.

We, A.B., Esq., His Britannic Majesty's Consul at.

do hereby certify that the steamer called the "Don Pedro," of Liverpool, of 1,325 tons, commanded by John Smith, navigated by thirty men, and having on board three passengers, being in all thirty-three person on board, leaves this port of in free pratique bound for London.

We further certify that good health is enjoyed in this town and the adjacent country, without any suspicion of plague or infectious distemper whatever.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and seal of office at this 23rd day of August, 1898.

(Signature of Consul.)

The above would be called a clean Bill of Health; if cases of infectious disease were noted on the certificate, it would be called a foul Bill.

The Bills of Lading have been already described in the chapter on Exportation of Goods. The Bills of Lading here referred to are, of course, the "Captain's copies."

The Manifest is a list of the vessel's cargo. It specifies the marks, numbers, contents, and value of each package, or particulars of other cargo, and sometimes states the amount of freight payable at port of destination. It is usually signed by the master, or the ship broker or agent who clears the vessel at the Custom House. A specimen is given on the next page.

The Builder's Certificate is sometimes found on board a vessel which has not changed hands since she was built. In the absence of the Certificate of Registry it might serve as proof of the vessel's nationality.

A Bill of Sale is a document in a prescribed form given by the seller to the buyer when a vessel changes owners. It is sometimes required to be produced-during a war, for instance-as further proof of ownership.

Of the papers above mentioned, only three come within the scope of Office Work, viz., the Charter Party, the Manifest, and the Bill of Lading. As we have already dealt with the two latter, we are now only concerned with the Charter Party.

A Charter Party is a document whereby the owner of a vessel agrees to allow a merchant or other trader to have the use of the vessel for the conveyance of merchandise, cattle, or passengers between certain specified ports or for a specified time. It is, in fact, the contract between the shipowner and the merchant, and embodies all the agreed upon conditions as to cargo, voyage, time for loading and discharging, rate of freight, &c. Every Charter Party executed in the United Kingdom requires a sixpenny stamp.

Here is a specimen of this document :

:

Charter Party.

BOMBAY, 3rd February, 1898.

IT IS THIS DAY MUTUALLY AGREED BETWEEN Samuel Johnson & Co. as Agents for John Dawson, Owner of the good Steamship called the "Boswell" of the measurement of 2325 Tons Net Register, classed 100 A1 Lloyd's or equal thereto, now lying at anchor at Singapore

of Bombay,

and Harvey, Mitchell & Co., Merchants and Charterers, THAT the said Steamer being tight, staunch, and strong, and in every way fitted for the voyage, shall with all convenient speed, sail and proceed to Bombay, or so near thereunto as she may safely get, and there load, always afloat, from the said Affreighters, a full and complete cargo, consisting of Lawful Merchandise

which the said Affreighters bind themselves to ship, not exceeding what she can reasonably stow and carry over and above her Tackle, Apparel, Provisions, and Furniture; and being so loaded shall therewith proceed as ordered on signing Bills of Lading to

One safe port on the Continent, between Havre and Hamburg, both inclusive or so near thereunto as she may safely get, and deliver the same, always afloat, on being paid Freight as follows:- Thirty shillings per ton as per Bombay Tonnage Scale being in full of all Port Charges and Pilotages as customary.

1.-The Freight to be paid at Port of Discharge on unloading and right delivery of the Cargo in Cash, at current rate of exchange.

2.-As much Cash as Master may require for ship's ordinary disbursements at Port of Loading, not exceeding £ 200 to be advanced (if required), subject to 3 per cent. for Interest and Insurance.

3.-Fourteen working days, Sundays and holidays excepted, are to be allowed the said Charterer (if Ship be not sooner despatched, Charterers having liberty to load up to midnight) for loading, and ten days on demurrage, over and above the said laying days at four pence per net register ton per day. Lay days to count 24 hours from Captain's written notice of readiness for loading. Charterers to have option of loading on Sundays and holidays, such days to count as lay days for time actually occupied.

4.-The Act of God, perils of the sea, fire on board, in hulk or craft, or on shore, barratry of the Master and Crew, enemies, pirates, and thieves, arrests and restraints of princes, rulers, and people, collisions, stranding, and other accidents of navigation, excepted, even when occasioned by negligence, default, or error in judgment of the Pilot, Master, Mariners, or other servants of the Shipowners.

5.--The Cargo to be brought to and taken from alongside the Ship at Charterer's risk and expense.

6.-The Captain to sign Bills of Lading as presented, if in accordance with Mate's receipts, and at any rate of Freight, without prejudice or reference to this Charter Party, if not at variance therewith, the owners having a lien on the Cargo for Freight, Dead Freight, and Demurrage. Should the total Freight shown by Bills of Lading amount to less than the Freight stipulated by this Charter, the difference to be paid to Captain before sailing, and should the Freight shown by Bills of Lading amount to more than the Freight stipulated by this Charter, the difference to be paid before sailing to Charterers by Captain's Draft on Owner's, payable 48 hours after arrival at discharging port.

7.-Steamer not answerable for leakage or breakage, unless occasioned by bad stowage of cargo.

8.-Lay days not to commence before the not arrive and be ready to load on or before option of cancelling this Charter.

19th March, 1898, and should Steamer 3rd April, 1898, Charterers to have the

9. Any difference respecting the interpretation of this Charter to be settled in accordance with the custom of the port where it arises.

10.-Five per cent. Address Commission is payable to Charterers at port of Loading. Vessel to be addressed at ports of loading and discharge to Charterers or their Agents, paying the customary fees for transacting Steamer's business, and to employ Charterers stevedores for loading and discharging at not exceeding customary rates. Charterers to have the use of Steamer's winches, Captain supplying necessary men and coals to work sanie. 11.-5 per cent. Brokerage on the amount of Freight is due by the Ship on the signing hereof to Samuel Johnson & Co. ship lost or not lost.

12.-Penalty for non-performance of this Agreement, estimated amount of damages.

Witness to both Signatures,

Wm. Harrison,

Assistant to Messrs. Harvey, Mitchell & Co.

Samuel Johnson & Co.

as Agents for Owners Harvey, Mitchell & Co. Charterers.

The wording of these documents is not determined by law, and any agreement in writing clearly setting forth the terms of the contract would constitute a Charter Party. Many shipowners have their own form, just as others have their own forms of Bills of Lading, but one form of Charter Party differs very little from another, and the form just given is a fair example of these documents.

There are two principal forms of Charter, viz., voyage charters and time charters. In the former case, which is the most common, the ship is hired for a certain fixed voyage; in the latter case for a certain specified time.

The principal clauses in a Charter Party, when a ship is chartered for a fixed voyage, are practically the same as those in a Bill of Lading, viz., the parties to it, the ship, the voyage, the cargo, and