THE EUROPEAN PASSPORT SYSTEM. 199 



member Lavinfr heard of a sino;le instance where 

 they were required to show their passes. 



This passport system was a feature worthy of the 

 worst despotism of the Old World. Here were we, 

 a body of Americans, visiting an English harbor, 

 after a long contiuement aboard ship at sea, debarred 

 from enjoying our rambles on shore with perfect 

 freedom, and feeling ourselves liable at any moment 

 to be stopped by the police, and have our passports 

 demanded. And why? Forsooth, was this done, 

 beause several of the James Allen's crew — disgusted 

 either with whaling, the sea, or the harshness of the 

 discipline aboard that ship — chose to remain ashore ? 

 To be sure, they had all signed the ship's articles, 

 and agreed to remain as part of her crew during the 

 continuance of her voyage, and by leaving her here 

 they violated the letter of their agreement; but 

 when it is remembered, that the greater proportion 

 of those now deserting, at the time of joining the 

 vessel and registering their names, were minors — 

 totally ignorant of what their duties and hardships 

 might be — their offence appears to be rnerely venial. 

 And, again, the captain is also bound by these ar- 

 ticles and by the maritime laws of the United States ; 

 and, if he has observed those laws in letter and spirit, 

 he will be entitled to sympathy, should his men 

 desert him. But, unfortunately, as soon as a ship 

 is outside of land, and away from the jurisdiction of 

 our courts, the captain is too apt to consider himself 

 as the law and all its officers. He is, emphatically, 

 when on the high seas, himself the judge and jurj- ; 

 from his decision there is no appeal, and to his fiat 

 the seamen under his command must submit. N'ow, 



