276 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [18] 



they may require the master of the boat inculpated to exhibit the of- 

 ficial document establishing her nationality. The fact of such document 

 having been exhibited shall then be indorsed upon it immediately. 



The commanders of cruisers shall not pursue further their visit or 

 search on board a fishing boat which is not of their own nationality, 

 unless it should be necessary for the purpose of obtaining proof of an 

 offense or of a contravention of regulations respecting the police of the 



fisheries. 



Article XXX. 



The commanders of the cruisers of the signatory powers shall 

 exercise their judgment as to the gravity of facts brought to their 

 knowledge, and of which they are empowered to take cognizance, and 

 shall verify the damage, from whatever cause arising, which may be 

 sustained by fishing boats of the nationalities of the high contracting 

 parties. 



They shall draw up, if there is occasion for it, a formal statement of 

 the verification of the facts as elicited both from the declarations of the 

 parties interested and from the testimony of those present. 



The commander of the cruiser may, if the case appears to him suf- 

 ficiently serious to justify the step, take the offending boat into a port 

 of the nation to which the fishermen belong. He may even take on 

 board the cruiser a part of the crew of the fishing boat, in order to hand 

 them over to the authorities of her nation. 



Article XXXI. 



The formal statement referred to in the preceding article shall be 

 drawn up in the language of the commander of the cruiser, and accord- 

 ing to the forms in use in his country. 



The accused and the witnesses shall be entitled to add, or to have 



added, to such statement, in their own language, any observations or 



evidence which they may think suitable. Such declarations must be 



duly signed. 



Article XXXII. 



Eesistance to the directions of commanders of cruisers charged with 

 the police of. the fisheries, or of those who act under their orders, shall, 

 without taking into account the nationality of the cruiser, be considered 

 as resistance to the authority of the nation of the fishing boat. 



Article XXXIII. 



When the act alleged is not of a serious character, but has neverthe- 

 less caused damage to any fisherman, the commanders of cruisers shall 

 be at liberty, should the parties concerned agree to it, to arbitrate at 

 sea between them, and to fix the compensation to be paid. 



Where one of the parties is not in a position to settle the matter at 

 once, the commanders shall cause the parties concerned to sign in dupli- 

 cate a formal document specifying the compensation to be paid. 



