8o THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN 



is compelled to listen, to mediate and settle amicably if possible 

 and if not to enforce the Law. Sailors are constantly get- 

 ting into trouble on shore and require his interference, and 

 petty suits are instituted against the Masters for the pur- 

 pose of extortion to which he is expected to give his personal 

 attention." ^" 



In spite of the plain intent of the law and the importuni- 

 ties of the seamen, however, the average consul provided 

 small reason to be admired or respected in the forecastle. 

 If he did not look upon his unwelcome wards with antagonism 

 or open contempt, he was at least likely to be indifferent to 

 their interests. Not only did he come from a social class 

 whose interests and ideas were virtually the same as those of 

 merchant, master, and shipowner, but his own immediate 

 livelihood was largely dependent upon the favor and custom 

 of the same persons. From the seamen, on the other hand, 

 he had nothing to expect and little to fear, since they had 

 neither money nor connections. Consequently he found it 

 difficult if not impossible to maintain the impartiality which 

 his role as an arbiter between masters and men demanded. 



This unfortunate situation was due largely to the scheme 

 of consular remuneration in force throughout the greater 

 part of the century. Instead of a regular salary, the emolu- 

 ments of the office consisted of the fees which were collected 

 for the performance of stipulated official services. Typical 

 fee-yielding functions included such routine tasks as the certi- 

 fication of ships* papers, the administration of oaths, the issu- 

 ance of certificates of discharge and of desertion, the shipping 

 of new hands, and the collection of advance wages. State- 

 ments of consuls and entries in ships' accounts agree in show- 

 ing that the individual fees ranged from twenty-five cents to 

 four dollars, with two dollars as an average amount. In a 

 small handful of world-famous ports such sums, when accu- 

 mulated throughout the course of a year, amounted to a re- 

 spectable total. But in other places, where the arrival of 

 an American vessel was a rare event, the annual totals were 

 more akin to pin-money than to a source of livelihood. 



^^ These excerpts were taken from the manuscript Consular Letters, which are 

 bound and preserved in the Library of the Department of State. 



