384 ISLES OF SUAIMER. 



cerued; the wreckers and gorernment and court officials took all 

 that was saved as a compensation for their services. The hurri- 

 cane months are August, Sei^tember and October, yet of these 

 313 cases, 199 occurred during the six months ending May 1st 

 of cacli of these seven years, being nearly two-thirds of the whole 

 number. 



The amount of salvage awarded from 1855 to 1864, in fifty- 

 nine derelict cases, was £11,318 10s. 5d., and in thirty-seven 

 salvage cases, £59,955 143. 8d., making a total salvage for those 

 ten years, of over 8350,000, being about six times more than 

 was paid to the proprietors by the English crown for the whole 

 group of islands. In 1865 the owners of the American steamer 

 Herman Livingston, which was stranded and got off, paid, 

 under an agreement with the master and salvors, $30,000. The 

 salvors, after discounting the bill, received £5,480 3s. This was 

 divided among thirty-two vessels and boats. 



Governor Eawson says: ''It is stated on good authority, that 

 the average salvage allowed, chiefly by arbitration, which twenty 

 years ago amounted to sixty per cent., has not during the la'st 

 five years, (1859 to 18G4,) exceeded forty per cent., and that the 

 charges for commissions amount to ten per cent, on the mer- 

 chandise saved, and for labor, storage, &c., to four per cent, 

 more. From the above, the extent may be inferred, to which the 

 population of the colony, maritime and commercial, has been and 

 continues to be interested in this source of emj)loyment and in- 

 come." 



The total value of wrecked property, including hulks and 

 materials, paying ad valorem duties of twenty per cent., auction 

 duties of five per cent., and specific duties and of property re- 

 exported, aggregated £638,864. 



Gov. Rawson also states that wrecking has had the necessary 

 and usual effect of demoralizing the persons engaged in such, 



