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THE SEA. 



possibly represent a very considerable money loss to the owners, by the delay in the arrival 

 in port of the ship and cargo. 



" 2nd. That the cost of maintenance of the persons saved is insufficiently repaid by 

 the Government. 



" 3rd. That in all but the largest kind of ships the amount of food and water habitually 

 kept on board is rarely sufficient to meet the strain of , say double, or, it may be quadruple, the 

 number of men they were intended for; and if a ship of the smaller class, towards the 

 end of her voyage, has to take on board the crew of a vessel greater in number than 

 her own, she is, from shortness of provisions and water, in nine cases out of ten, compelled 

 to make for the nearest port, which may be a cause of incalculable loss, unless it chances to be 

 the one she is bound for. 



" 4th. Every captain knows that all owners are more or less inimical to their ships 

 rendering either salvage service or life-saving service. Not, as we suppose, that any owner 

 deliberately sets to himself the axiom that no ship of his shall save life, but that they, 

 not unnaturally, view with suspicion salvage service, because they can receive nothing 

 from it but loss in time and money ; and cases are not infrequent in which pretence of 

 saving life is made a source of real loss to the owners.'" 



One case among the many which could be presented is here given. It appeared 

 before the magistrates of Falmouth in 1873, in consequence of the refusal of a crew to proceed 

 to sea. The ship had come from a Chinese port to a port in Europe : it being uncertain, 

 from the fluctuating state of the market, which it would be. The vessel fell in with 

 a distressed ship, from which she took seventeen persons. When in the entrance to the 

 English Channel, the captain found himself short of provisions and water, and put into 

 Falmouth, to land the shipwrecked crew and replenish his provisions. His own crew 

 thereupon claimed their discharge, as having arrived " at, a port in Europe" The Bench 

 ruled the men's claim to be just, and it took the captain a fortnight to obtain a fresh 

 crew, to whom higher wages had to be paid. " The actual and immediate loss to the 

 owners, by this act of humanity of their captain, was stated at 270. The only reimburse- 

 ment was the usual State grant for feeding so many men so many days, amounting 

 altogether to 16 and a few shillings." The delay in delivering cargo entailed a heavy loss, 

 and having put into a port not named, she had, it was said, vitiated her policy. How might 

 the owners feel towards . that captain in future ? And again, how might he feel next time, 

 when duty called him one way and interest the other? In an indirect way, this and 

 foreign Governments recognise humane services of the kind indicated by presents of telescopes 

 or binocular glasses. Such recognition is undoubtedly valued by the sort of men who 

 would do their duty under any adverse circumstances, and whether they were to be thanked 

 or no ; but it is to be feared that captains who were as unfortunate as the one at Falmouth 

 might think twice before they performed that which their consciences could only approve 

 as right. 



The owner of the relieving vessel should have the right of being recouped to the full 

 extent of the loss incurred by delay and service though many would never accept it; 

 and a ship's insurance should never be vitiated by its calling at a port on a matter of 

 any such necessity as landing a shipwrecked crew or obtaining provisions. It is certain 



