492 ABSTRACT OF ACTS OF PAllLIAMENT, [aPP. n" I. 



by British subjects, usually residing in Great Britain, or in 

 the islands of Guernsey, Jersey, or Man, which shall, with- 

 in the time herein limited, proceed from any port of Great 

 Britain, or the islands aforesaid, on the whale-fishery to the 

 Greenland Seas or Davis"" Straits, or to the seas adjacent, 

 and which shall be manned and navigated with a master, and 

 three-fourths of the mariners at least, being British subjects, 

 shall, before she proceeds on such voyage, or be entitled to 

 the benefits of this act, be visited by the proper officer of the 

 Customs belonging to such port, who shall examine such ves- 

 sel, and take an account of the tonnage thereof by admeasure- 

 ment, and shall certify such his visitation, examination, and ad- 

 measurement, to the Commissioners of his Majesty's Customs*; 

 and if it appears by the certificate that she hath on board such 

 a number of men, provisions, boats, fishing-lines, and instru- 

 ments to be used in such fishery, as herein after mentioned ; 

 that she is strongly built, and otherwise a proper ship for such 

 voyage and fishery, and hath on board, among her crew, a 

 sufficient number of harpooners, steersmen, and line-ma- 

 nagers, who have before been employed in such voyages, (the 

 names of such persons to be contained in such certificate) ; 

 and if it further appears, by the oath of one or more owner 

 or owners -j*, and of the master or chief officer of such vessel, 

 written at the foot of such certificate, and made before the 

 principal officers of the Customs of such ports, or any two of 

 them, whereof the Collector shall be one, that it is their firm 

 purpose and determined resolution that such ship shall, as soon 

 as license shall be granted, proceed, so manned and furnished, 

 *' on a voyage to the Greenland seas or Davis"* Straits, or the 

 seas adjacent, and there, in the then approaching season, to 

 use the utmost endeavours of themselves, and their ship"'s 



" For the rules given by the Commissioners of the Customs for the go- 

 ivernment of the surveying officer, vide Appendix No. IV. art. 1. 



-f- " Owners, in case of sickness, or unavoidable absence, may lake the 

 oaths required before the sailing of the ship, before a Justice of the Peace, 

 affidavit of which shall be accepted, and deemed as effectual as if the owner or 

 owners had conformed to the said act." — i2d Geo. III. c. 22. § 4. 



