167 



District of — , ^ort pf^-~-. ■ , 18 



This certifies that I have examined the , of 



whereof ' is master; that she is sea-worthy, well found in 



sails, rigging, cables, anchors, and fishing' gear, suitable for the cod- 

 fisheries; that her crew is sufficient for her tonnage, being com'posed of 



'-. persons; that the master and three-fourths of her crew are 



citizens of the United States; and that in all respects said vessel is 

 fitted for the cod-fisheries agreeably to the provisions of law, [adding 

 in the case of a vessel of twenty tons and upwards,] and that the agree- 

 ment between the master and fishermen is duly executed^ by them and 

 the owner, or his agent. 



The proofs of inspection may remain, with the other papers of the 

 vessel, to be presented to the collector with the other proofs. 



4. The legal necessity of keeping journals or log-books on board fish- 

 ing vessels at sea was, several years since, expressly laid down by the 

 circuit court of the United States for the eastern circuit, in decreeing 

 forfeiture of a fishing vessel for false statement of the time erqployed in 

 the cod-fishery for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining bounty. Such 

 journals or log-books w^re required by the regulations of 22d Decem- 

 ber, 1848, to be produced to collectors in support of all claims to 

 bounty. It is understood that this requirement has been perverted at 

 some^ ports by regarding memoranda in almanacs, and other memo- 

 randa even more exposed to aftei-faibrication, as sufficient. If the 

 owners of fishing vessels choose to send them on voyages without re- 

 quiring regular journals or log-books to be kept on board from day to 

 day, they have the undoubted right to do so ; but it must be distinctly 

 understood that hereafter no claiin for bounty on the tonnage of any 

 vessel, as having been employed in the cod-fishery, can be recognised 

 in such cases. 



Unless a regular journal or logrbook is kept day by day on board a 

 fishing vessel while at sea, and such journal or log-book is produced to 

 the collector, duly verified by the oath or affirmation of the master or 

 skipper of such vessel, it will not hereafter be considered that the 

 necessary evidence of her employment at sea in the cod-fishery is pre- 

 sented. Such journal or log-book must contain the dates of her depart- 

 ure from, and arrival at, every port or place she may touch at during 

 her voyagers or fares, and state the material daily occurrences on board, 

 as is usual in other sea-going vessels, and mUst specially contain daily 

 entries of the catch offish by each person on board. 



5. It is also required that the owner or agent of every fishing vessel 

 of the burden of twenty tons or upwards, for which bounty is claimed, 

 shall make a certificate stating therein^ the particular days on which 

 such vessel sailed and returned on the several voyages or fares during 

 the season which comprises the period for, which bounty is claimed. It 

 must expressly appear in this certificate that such vessel was exclu- 

 sively employed in taking codfish for the purpose of being dried or 

 dry-cured, for such period. This certificate must be subscribed by the 

 claimant, and sworn or affirmed to before the collector. 



6. The master or skipper of every fishing vessel, for which bounty 

 is intended to be claimed, immediately on her airival firom any voyage 



