124 THE SEA. 



A red, usually for a term of half or two-thirds the original term granted her in the 

 first character. . . . When from increasing age she is no longer fit to carry valuable 

 goods for long voyages, she falls back into class black, diphthong M ; while in this class 

 she is deemed fit to carry the same class of goods, but only on short voyages (not 



EXTERIOR OF LLOYD 8. 



beyond Europe). And when after survey and re-survey at intervals, as before, she is 

 no longer fit to carry valuable goods at all, she falls into class E, and is deemed fit 

 only to carry goods which sea-water won't hurt, as metallic ores, coal, coke, &c. w And 

 so it goes on till she is classed 1 ; and when she is run through her terms here she is 

 said to have run out of her classes : to be, in fact, an " unclassed ship." The lettering 

 is slightly varied for iron ships. But it must be remembered that all this submitting 

 to survey is entirely optional, and that a newly-built ship may be " unclassed " also. 



