330 NAVIGATION- 



and comfort. Notwithstanding it has been found that since 

 the free-trade to India commenced the greater number of 

 passengers prefer the private, ships. The ships in the pri- 

 vate trade are of various classes and dimensions, from 800 

 tons to 150. Many of them are expressly fitted for pas- 

 sengers, and in some instances great care and expense have 

 been bestowed both as to their sailing qualities and internal 

 comfort. 



It may not be out of place here to give a few particular? 

 for the guidance of passengers bound to India. At Lloyd's 

 Coffee-house, where most of the private ships are ensured, 

 they are classed according to their age and condition. Be- 

 fore an ensurance can be effected the ship is surveyed. 

 There arc five classes, — A, E, I, O, and U. In each class 

 there are three gradations. Thus, if a ship is quite new, 

 well built, and altogether in good condition, she is in the 

 first class, which is called A 1, the next A 2, next A 3, 

 next E 1, and so on. As ships, like books or estates, are 

 always putled off in the newspapers, it is as well to know 

 the above ; and it may be fiirther remarked, that if a ship 

 is classed A 1 it will usually be so stated, whereas if she 

 happens to belong to class E 2 nothing respecting her class 

 will be found in the advertisement.* Of late years many 

 agency-houses have been established for the express pur- 

 pose of doing all the necessary business for passengers res- 

 pecting their outfit and return. To agents and brokers the 

 owners of private ships give a per centage for every pas- 

 senger they procure. It must be observed that the brokers 

 get this per centage on the amount of passage-money for a 

 passenger from the owners -of all classes of ships, and 

 therefore it must be expected that they will puff a ship 

 coiite qui coute whether she be A 1 or U 20 ! In all re- 

 spects, except the actual choice of a ship, an agent or bro- 

 ker will be found highly useful both out and home.f . 



* The Jerusalem Coffee-house, Cornhill, is tlie great emporium of 

 East India shipping intelligence; and there passengers may oblain all 

 needful information from Ihat most obliging and well-known peraoa 

 Horatio Hardy. 



t The following gentlemen are agents for passengers, and transact all 

 business connected with procuring a passage, shipping, baggage, &c. 

 They are acquainted with all forms necessary for passengers, and readily 

 afford every facUity without any direct fee. Their remuneration, as be- 

 fore observed, i3 derived from a commission on the passage-money ; this 



