K 1 S 



R I S 



part of the bend mould, when continued to the middle line 

 at each timber. 



RisiNG-Wooi/, that part of the balls of a (hip's bodv, 

 forward and abaft, which is formed by folid pieces of timber 

 fcarfed together lengthwife on the keel. The rifing-wood 

 mull be fufficiently high to feat the floors ; and afore and 

 abaft the floors, it is continued up to the cutting»down or 

 upper tide of the floors, for the purpole of fecuring the 

 heels of the cant-timbers, and there left fufficiently broad to 

 admit of a ftepping or rabbit for the heels of thofe tim- 

 bers, that they may not be continued downwards to (harp 

 edges. 



RISK, or RlSQUE, the hazard or chance of a lofs, da- 

 mage, &c. 



There is a great rifle run in letting goods go upon credit 

 to great lords, wives not authorized by their hufbands, and 

 young people not yet arrived at the age of majority. 



Skinner derives the word from the Spanifh rifco, Ji.ep ; 

 Covarruvias, from rigeo. In the barbarous Greek, they 

 fay, p^izzfi, tor periclitor, I hazard ; and pVixov, for lot or 

 chance; which words, as well as rij'que, Skinner thinks, 

 may be deduced from p»sT», for owapiffra tot xvoov, / cajl 

 the dye. 



To prevent any rilk in invoices of merchandizes by fea, it 

 is ufual to infure them. 



Accordingly the rilk is a fubjett of primary confedera- 

 tion in caies of marine infurance. All the rifks or perils, 

 that are incident to fea-voyages, may be provided againll 

 by inlurances, with certain exceptions founded on public 

 policy and the interelts of humanity. Thus, the infurer 

 can, in no cafe, upon principles of natural jullice, make 

 himfell anfwerable for any lofs or damage, proceeding di- 

 rectly from the fault of the infured. No infurance can be 

 made, even againft the perils of the fea, upon illegal com- 

 merce. In moll foreign countries, inlurances on the lives 

 of men are prohibited. In France they have been always 

 deemed illegal, and are exprefsly forbidden by the ordinance 

 of Lewis XIV. ; neverthelcfs, French writers have held that 

 this does not apply to Negro Haves. According to Valin, 

 who has, by curious rcaloning, attempted to vindicate this 

 loctrine, the dilpolition to filicide is natural in Negro Haves, 

 and imputable, as he exprefles himfelf, to the " inherent 

 vice of the article;" and, therefore, their death, proceeding 

 from this cauf*, mull be deemed natural death. Rut the 

 killing of them, or the throwing of them overboard in a re- 

 volt, is a lofa incident to this trade, and a peril within the 

 policy. It is to be lamented, that, whilfl the (lave trade 

 was countenanced and carried on in this country, the objects 

 of this cruel traffic have been tun much confidered as mere 

 merchandize ; and the infured upon this trade formerly re- 

 covered, under the common policy, for any lofs fuflaincd in 

 the voyage- by the mortality of the (laves, whether they 

 thrown overboard, in cafes of fuppofed neceffity, or 

 1 a natural death, or periflied by the perils of the (ea. 

 The legislature, however, while this infamous and favage 

 traffic fubfifted, interpofed, and by an annual act, palled 

 with a view to inierefl the perfons concerned in this trade in 

 the preservation Of the lives and health of the (laves, de- 

 clared, that though the policy remained in the fame form as 

 before, it cannot protect the infured againft lofl'ea occafioned 

 by natural death, ill treatment, throwing overboard, or by 

 rellraints of princes proceeding from attempts to get Haves 

 by force. (See flat. 30 Geo. III. c. 33. j 8. 34 Geo. III. 

 c. 80. § 10. and 30 Geo. III. c. 8e. $ 24.) Bat we truil 

 the provilions of thefe and fimilar Itatut-s are become 

 wholly tmnecefTary in this country, and that the trade, of 



which we (hall give fome account in its proper place, is abu. 

 hllud never to revive. 



The words of an Englifli policy, which fpecify the va- 

 rious rilks againfl which infurances are ufually made, are 

 thefe : " Touching the adventures and perils which we, the 

 affurers, are contented to bear, and do take upon us in this 

 voyage, they are of the feas, men of war, fire, enemies, pi. 

 rates, rovers, thieves, jettifons, letters of mart and counter- 

 mart, furprizals, takings at fea, arrells, rellraints, and de- 

 tainments, of all kings, princes, and people, of what na- 

 tion, condition, or quality foeverj barratry of the mafler 

 and mariners ; and of all other perils, loifes, and misfor- 

 tunes, that have or Ihall come to the hurt, detriment, or 

 damage of the faid goods and merchandizes, and (hip, &c, 

 or any part thereof, without prejudice to this infurance." 

 The latter claufe feems to be fufficiently comprehenfive tc 

 embrace every fpecies of rifk to which (hips and goods are 

 expofed from the perils of fea-voyages. However, by the 

 agreement of the parties, the general words of the policy 

 may be altered or qualified ; and any of the rilks may be 

 wholly or in part excluded, and the infurance may be made- 

 only againll fome particular rifks, or up to, or beyond cer- 

 tain degrees, or upon particular articles. In England, it 

 is now conllantly llipulated in all policies, that upon certain 

 enumerated articles of a quality peculiarly perifhable, the 

 infurer (hall not be anfwerable for any partial lofs whatever ; 

 that upon certain others, liable to partial injuries, but lefs 

 difficult to be preferved at fea, he (hall only be liable for 

 partial lofles above Jive per cent. ; and that, as to all other 

 goods, and alio the fliip and freight, he (hall only be liable 

 for partial lofles above three per cent. This flipulation is 

 made by a memorandum, in the form of a warranty, infertcd 

 at the bottom of all Englifh policies. It was firfl intro- 

 duced here about the year 1 749 ; before which time the in- 

 furer was liable for every injury, however fmall, that hap- 

 pened to the thing infured. This claufe prevented the ne- 

 ceflity of adapting the premium to the nature of the com- 

 modity. Neverthelefs our policies indemnify the infured 

 againft every lois, let it be ever fo inconfiderable, arifing 

 from any caufe atfecting the general fafetv of the (hip and 

 cargo, l.olles of this fort, being of the nature of " general 

 average," are fo called in the memorandum ; and there is, 

 therefore, annexed to each of the provilions above-mentioned, 

 an exception of general average. In the policies of private 

 infurers, the cale of the "ltranding of the (hip" is likewife 

 excepted. In the commdTi policies, ufed in London by 

 private underwriters, the memorandum runs thus; " Corn, 

 (comprehending every fort of grain, and alio peafe and 

 beans,) fifli, fait, (excluding f alt -pet re, 1 fruit, flour, and 

 feed, are warran ;<d tree from average, unlefs general, or 

 the (hip be (branded: fugar, tobacco, hemp, flax, hides, 



and (kins, are warranted free from average, under Jive per 

 cent. ; and all other goods, alio the fhip and freight, are war- 

 ranted tree from average, under three per cent., unlefs ge- 

 neral, or the fhip be llranded." 



This form of the memorandum was generally ufed, not 

 only by private underwriters, but alfo by the two infurance 

 companies, from its firft introduction in 1749, till the year 

 1754; when, in confequence of a particular cale that oc- 

 curred, the London Infurance Company left out of the 

 memorandum in their policies the words, " or the fhip be 

 ftranded ;" and thr fame alteration was foon after adopted 

 by tin.' Royal Exchange Aflurance Company. Private un- 

 derwriters have, however, continued the memorandum in 

 the old form. Many queitions have arifen as to the true 

 meaning of the words, <* free from average, unlefs general, 



or 



