53. The ships to be taken up and the voyages agreed to in the Court of Directors by the ballot, and not otherwise; and not any tender to be accepted, but such as shall be first made by one or more of the owners, in writing, wherein shall be expressed the names of all the owners.

54. Ships are to be employed in rotation, according to the times of their return from any voyage; and the owners shall, from time to time, enter into charter-parties for each voyage. The commanders and officers are to be examined according to the standing rules and regulations.

55. The Court of Directors, from time to time, to make regulations to ascertain pay and privilege of commanders and officers, which is not to be diminished, nor the commanders or officers removed by the owners, without leave of the Court.

56. That no commander, owner, or part-owner of any ship, shall sell any office of mate, purser, gunner, boatswain, or any inferior office, or take any fee or reward whatsoever.

57. The command of a ship not to be sold; if sold, the commander to be incapable of being employed in the Company's service, and the ship liable to be discharged the service; and the parties concerned shall pay to the Company double the sum received, and shall be obliged to discover the transaction by answer to a bill of equity, and proper clauses to be inserted to that effect in shipping agreements.

EXTRACTS

From the Ship's Charter-party, which requires the Attention of the Commanders and Officers.

53. THE commander to give notice to the secretary, in writing, when the ship arrives at Gravesend, outward-bound, 59. The commander also to give notice to the secretary at the expiration of the time limited for the stay of the ship at Gravesend, or in the Hope outward-bound.

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60. The Company are to have liberty to survey the ship at any time, and to lay by for their surveyors, who are to be civilly treated, and to be provided with reasonable and convenient food and lodging.

61. The ship, not carrying the full number of guns, the commander and owners to forfeit for each gun wanting, 401.; and not to be disposed of without leave of the Company's servants,

to whom the ship is consigued. The owners and commander to forfeit 100l. for every gun sold, and the commander rendered incapable of continuing in the service.

62. The commander or master to obey the Company's orders during the voyage, and also committees appointed by them, or their governors, president, agents, chief factors, or assigns.

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63. The master or officers displaced, (or by decease,) the next in rank to succeed him.

64. The command, or any office in the ship, not to be bought or sold.

65. An order of encouragement, to the following effect, to be put up in the ship, and to be continued during the voyage.

66. “The Court of Directors of the United Company of Merchants of England, trading to the East Indies, being willing to encourage the mariners of all their ships to be just to the said Company, and careful of their effects and trade, and observant of all injuries done or doing thereto; as also to animate them to defend their said ships and their estates on board, in case they should be assaulted by any enemy, do hereby declare, that they will allow and pay the following rewards, at the return of the ship from the East Indies, into the River Thames, and finishing this present voyage; that is to say, to every seaman that shall prevent any wilful and malicious damage to any part of the said Company's effects, or shall save the same from being lost, a reward suitable to their merit therein. To the widow, children, father or mother of every seaman that shall lose his life in the defence of the ship, as aforesaid, thirty pounds. To every seaman that shall lose a leg or arm, or both, in such defence, thirty pounds. To every seaman that shall receive any other wound, such sum of money as the said Court of Directors shall think fit, upon producing a certificate from their commander or superior officer, touching their merits. That every seaman, so wounded in defence of the ship, shall be cured of his wounds at the charge of the said Company and owners."

67. The ship to touch at such places as shall be ordered; receive in and deliver out any goods.

68. The ship not to touch at any place, but what ordered to touch at; or take any foreign coin or bullion, goods or provisions, at any place short of her consigned port, without an especial licence from the Court of Directors. Penalty, the forfeiture of the goods, and 100l. per day for detention of

69. The cargo to be stowed in the best manner, to prevent damage; and disposed of in the ship in such manner and in such places as will not lumber or incommode her working, or render her incapable of defence.

70. No goods are to be shot loose in the hold, nor any luggs to be cut off the bales, under penalty of the Company paying but half the freight of goods thus damaged; and bales not to be opened without giving notice, under penalty of 10l.; for pepper shot loose between decks, the freight will not be paid for.

71. The ship to make no deviation, and the whole cargo to be delivered into the Company's warehouses.

72. The ship, if she touch at the island of Ascension or St. Helena, must not sail without leave of the Governor and Council. Penalty, 2001.

73. The ship not to touch at Barbadoes or any port in America, or any of the Western Islands, or Plymouth, or put into any port of England or Ireland, without orders, (unavoidable dangers of the sea excepted.) Penalty, 500l.

74. The commander, chief and second mates to keep journals of the ships's daily proceedings, from her first taking in cargo in the River Thames, to her return and discharge of her cargo in England, and of the wind and weather, and all remarkable transactions, accidents and occurrences during the whole voyage; also of every thing received into and delivered from the ship; and are afterwards to be delivered to the Company on oath, if required.

75. No unlicensed goods to be carried in the ship; or to take any passengers without leave.

76. The ship to have her complement of men during the voyage.

77. That it shall not be lawful for the master of the ship, or any other officer of the ship, to furnish any of the seamen with money, liquor, provisions, beyond the value of onethird of what the wages of such seamen shall amount to at the time of furnishing the same.

78. The paymaster to be appointed by the Company, and owners to pay seamen's wives, &c. one month's wages in six. 79. The commander to have the use of the great cabin, unless for the use of the Company's servants.

so. That the part-owners or master do send in the ship the value of 5001. in foreign coius or bullion (the same to be weigh, ed in and passed through the Company's Bullion Office,) to be made use of for extraordinary expences duing the voyage, Penalty, 201. per cent.

81. The commander to be supplied with 2001. per month, by way of impress, and provisions, while in India or China. $2. The Company to pay for the hire of Lascars, in the room of seamen, employed in India.

EXTRACTS

From Acts of Parliament relative to the East India Shipping, Mariners and Private Trude.

THAT a charge of 31. per cent. only be made by the Com pany on private trade goods from India, for expenses of unship ping, boyage, cartage, warehouse-room, setting, lotting, and selling the said goods, or in any other mauner concerning the same, over and above the freight. No other charge beyond the 31. to be made; but not to release the 51. per cent, and gl. per cent. on goods from China in private trade.

Cap. 52.

33 Geo. 3.

East India goods not to be unshipped at sea from homewardbound ships in the Company's service, (except in cases of necessity); nor goods, wines, &c. shipped on board outwardbound East India ships, after their clearing out, (except provisions, &c.) under certain penalties. 17 Geo. 3. Cap. 41.

The value of East India goods, for charging duties thereou, to be ascertained from the gross prices of their sale, (sect. 17); and East India goods imported as presents, or for private use, the duties on which are to be ascertained by the proprietors declaring the value thereof. (Sect. 21 and 22.) 40 Geo. 3. Cap. 98.

A duty of 6s. per ton, laid on all ships entering inwards and clearing outwards from and to the East Indies, &c. (except those in ballast) to be paid ou the entry outwards, and within fourteen days after the report inwards. 49 Gev. 3. Cap. 98.

The duties on tea to be paid by the buyers to the Company, who are to pay the same to the Collector of H. M. Customs within thirty days after the expiration of each quarterly sale. 24 Gco. 3. Cap 38.

All goods imported in private trade to be secured in the Company's warehouses, and sold at their sales: when bought in for the owners, to be delivered as soon as possible after the payment of the freight and other charges, without the pay

Goods are to be registered previous to shipping, in books kept by the Company, describing the marks, numbers, and tonnage of every package. Goods shipped either in London or in India, without being so registered, to be subject to seizure,, and to the penalties of trading without the Company's licence. 33 Geo. 3. Cap. 52.

That as well all and every the goods and merchandise, treasure and effects, which shall at any time or times before such determination of the said Company's whole and sole trade, as aforesaid, be shipped or put on board any ship or ships, or vessel or vessels, bound from Great Britain to the East Indies, or the parts aforesaid, (other than except the goods, merchandise, treasure, and effects of the said Company, or of other persons lawfully shipping the same, under the limitations and provisions of this act, and according to the true intent and meaning of the same, and except the naval stores, provisions, and necessaries for such ship or ships to perform their voyage) as also all and every the goods, merchandise, treasure, and effects, which shall from and after the time aforesaid, be taken out of any such ship or vessel in her voyage homeward from the East Indies, or parts aforesaid to England, before her arrival there; the same and every of them shall be forfeited, together with double the value thereof, and shall and may be seized; and the master or commander, or other officers of such ship or ships, or vessel or vessels, for the time being, knowingly permitting or suffering any such goods, merchandise, treasure, or effects to be shipped, or put on board any such ship or ships so bound to the East Indies, or to be taken out of any such ship or ships bound from the East Indies, or parts aforesaid, to England, shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of one thousand pounds; and moreover shall not be entitled to have, demand, or receive, any wages whatsoever; nor shall the said Company be obliged, or compelled, or compellable to pay any wages to, or to the use, or upon the account of any such master, commander, or officer, for or in respect of the voyage so made, or to be made by such master, commander, or officer. But if such ship shall have been taken ap by the said Company by charter-party or hire, then the said Company shall have an allowance or deduction, in respect of the said wages, to the full amount thereof, out of the monies payable by them to the owner or owners of the ship to which such master or officer shall belong, for the hire or freight thereof; and every such master or officer who shall be couvicted of such offence, shall be rendered incapable of again