PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 447 



removed from this department, the better for the nation at 

 large. The words " on arrival at port of destination " should 

 (to apply in the same manner to fishing vessels) be altered to 

 the words, " at the termination of the voyage," and a pre- 

 liminary report be made at next port of arrival after any case 

 of loss of life, otherwise both the agreement with the crew 

 and the log book would have to be renewed in cases of loss 

 of life, which would cause unnecessary delay. 



Subsection 6 of the 282nd section of the Act of 1854, 

 here incorporated, is worth remarking as a peculiar one. The 

 marginal heading is " quitting ship." It orders the entry 

 in the log book of " the name of every seaman or appren- 

 tice who ceases to be a member of the crew otherwise than 

 by death, with the place, time, manner and cause thereof." 

 This evidently means a "desertion," but called by two 

 other names, viz. " quitting ship " and " ceasing to be a 

 member of the crew." This causes the question to arise, 

 What is a desertion ? It may be construed out of any of 

 the following terms which are used in the Act of 1854: 

 Neglecting to join, absence without leave, quitting ship, 

 neglecting to join after leave of absence is expired. How 

 is a master or owner to decide between them ? A man may 

 belong to a drifter, and neglect from some cause or other to 

 be on board his vessel at the proper time, but has no inten- 

 tion of remaining away altogether. The master or owner 

 not knowing that the absence is enforced or unintentional 

 deals with it as a desertion. When the vessel comes in 

 again (next day perhaps), he presents himself ; he is then 

 told he is not wanted, and his clothes and wages are for- 

 feited. The man has no remedy, and this appears to be 

 harsh treatment, but it would be legal. The 243rd section 

 directs that the effects and clothes of a deserter, and all 

 wages or emoluments due to him, shall be forfeited, but it 



