PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 355 



large pecuniary interest in her safety. This alone gua- 

 rantees that everything will be done tending to the sea- 

 worthiness of the vessel, and consequently to the safety of her 

 crew. It renders impossible also the offering of a premium 

 on the loss of the vessel by over-insurance, as has been the 

 case with merchant ships, which have been wilfully lost, 

 after being over-insured by unscrupulous persons. Usually 

 no vessel is allowed to be insured for more than two-thirds 

 of her value. The mode of payment is a fixed percentage 

 on the amount insured. In the event of funds being short 

 in consequence of any unusually heavy losses, a further call 

 would be made pro ratti, but this is not often necessary. 

 There is no special legislation as regards the insurance of 

 fishing vessels, and there certainly is no need of any. 



The shipping of the crew and the making of agreements Shipping of 



crews, 

 with them have for many years been a mere farce as 



far as the law is concerned. To those who have en- 

 deavoured to act in a legal manner by shipping their 

 crews before the shipping master, a formal book of ten pages 

 has been given. It is intituled " Half-yearly agreement 

 and account of voyages and crew of a ship engaged in the 

 home trade only," and was sanctioned by the Board of 

 Trade in May, 1874, in pursuance of 17 and 18 Victoria, 

 c. 104. It provides for the insertion of the name, 

 official number, port of registry, port number, date of 

 register, registered tonnage, horse-power if a steam- 

 vessel, name and address of registered owner, master's 

 name and address, certificate number if any. This is a 

 very good beginning, but next follows a scale of pro- 

 visions to be allowed and served out to crew during the 

 voyage, in pounds and ounces. This is a perfect piece of 

 absurdity, as will be shown further on when the pro- 

 visioning question is dealt with, and even in the case of 



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