LAND, LABOUR AND COMMERCE. 159 



gave them some alleviation, by allowing masters to cry down l 

 the credit of their men. Only masters of British or Indian 

 vessels, however, were allowed this privilege, and not those of 

 colonial ships unless the names of the crew had been advertised 

 in the Gazette. This was reasonable, for the crews on the 

 colonial ships were constantly changing. The detainers were 

 intended to serve the double purpose of preventing the escape 

 of prisoners and securing the payment of debts, which under the 

 colonial system of judicature could not be recovered in the court 

 against persons out of the Colony. With all its defects and 

 possibilities of imposing hardships, it was found on the whole to 

 serve its purpose with tolerable efficiency. 2 



But the regulations for mustering the ship's crew and 

 passengers were more burdensome and less efficient. It was 

 obviously the duty of the Government to make sure that no 

 prisoners escaped, and for that reason it was necessary to make 

 a thorough examination of each ship before its departure, to 

 muster its crew and see the passengers. But the work was 

 badly done, and by holding the muster on shore at the Secretary's 

 office, instead of on the ship, no useful purpose was served. 

 The following description sent to % Bigge by the master of a 

 convict ship shows clearly the objections to Campbell's 

 methods. 



" The was in the first place detained ten days after it 



was advertised ready for sea ; at the expiration of which time 

 the Secretary would not muster the crew though applied to for 

 an earlier muster. On the tenth day, as some of my crew had 

 deserted, Mr. Campbell appointed that day week for the pur- 

 pose; ... I wrote to the Governor ... on which an earlier 

 day was fixed by him. That day came, and I brought my crew 

 on shore (the ship at this time being left entirely to the mercy 



1 i.e., to publish a notice warning publicans and traders that they would not 

 be responsible for debts incurred by their crews. 



2 One objectionable feature was the tax paid to the Judge- Advocate's clerk 

 for each certificate of " no detainer," which amounted in four years to 3,000. 

 This of course was specially heavy for the masters of ships who had to pay for all 

 their crew. Appendix, Bigge's Reports. R.O., MS. Sometimes persons against 

 whom detainers were lodged did get away without paying. Blaxcell, eg., left the 

 Colony in 1817 when there was a detainer lodged against him for duties due to 

 the Crown of 2,385. There were probably many similar instances in which 

 private and no less important creditors were involved. 



