130 INSURANCE OF FISHING-BOATS. 



gradual deterioration which constant exposure to the 

 weather and constant use inevitably bring about, and for 

 which no sane person would expect compensation ; whilst, 

 on the other hand, the word " damage " signifies sudden 

 and, comparatively speaking, great injury. But the under- 

 writer claims for the term " wear and tear " a widely different 

 signification. In his view "damage" means "wear and 

 tear," no matter how great it may be, or how suddenly it 

 may have been caused. If the sails of a vessel be blown 

 away by a heavy gust of wind, or if a vessel break from 

 her anchor when riding out a gale, the underwriter con- 

 siders such losses to be simply " wear and tear," and 

 declines to contribute towards paying for them. He con- 

 siders himself to be liable only if the sail be cut away, or if 

 the anchor be slipped from, ostensibly for the safety of the 

 vessel. I use the adverb " ostensibly," because it is well- 

 known that masters of vessels who have the ' interests of 

 their owners at heart, and who know anything about 

 underwriting, act accordingly. To my mind, this definition 

 of the term "wear and tear " is most unjust. An office 

 desk, which has been dinted and otherwise disfigured by 

 being constantly used, is in a very different state to one 

 the panels of which have been suddenly smashed with a 

 poker ; and a sail, even after twelve months' use, is in a 

 widely different condition to that of a sail which has been 

 blown to ribbons by a violent gale of wind. Were it 

 necessary, I could prove the truthfulness of what I have 

 here written, by detailing cases exactly in point ; and I 

 need hardly say that, according to the system I advocate, 

 no distressed boat-owner would be treated in so palpably 

 unjust a manner. In order, however, to make my meaning 

 perfectly clear, I will give an illustration of the working of 

 the two systems Two vessels, each of the same value, 



