MARITIME CODE. 77 



In conformity to the above are the Laws respecting per- 

 sons in distress at Sea or who have been wrecked. 



(i If the persons who have been wrecked say i take us and 

 sell us rather than allow us to perish here/ and the Nakhoda 

 takes them accordingly, he shall only have a claim to their 

 Services until the Prahu reaches the Port, when, if he is de- 

 sirous of selling them it shall be his duty to report the same 

 to the Shahbandar, in order that the Magistrate may direct 

 that the Nakhoda be entitled to half the amount of their value ; 

 what the persons who were wrecked may have said shall not 

 be attended to because they were in distress/' 



"If persons who have suffered from being wrecked are met 

 with at the time they are in the water swimming, without a 

 chance of their reaching the land in safety, and at their re- 

 quest are taken up by the Nakhoda of any Prahu, the Nakho- 

 da shall be entitled to demand on his arrival at Port the sum 

 of 1 Paha (2 Dollars) if the party is not a Slave, and if a Slave, 

 the half of the amount of his value, but no more." 



" If ship-wrecked persons are met under the lee of an Island 

 where they have gone on account of high winds and shall be in 

 distress, the demand on account of each, if not a slave, shall be 

 5 Mas (2 Dollars and a half) and if a slave 7 Mas (3 Dollars 

 and a half each). ; ' 



Another copy of the Malacca Code states that the Nakho- 

 da is to demand as follows, on account of the Gantong Layer or 

 hoisting of the Sail : — 



" For all persons who may have been wrecked, and may be 

 met at sea and taken up, the Nakhoda shall be entitled to de- 

 mand on account of the Gantong Layer at the rate of a Takil 

 (■i Dollars) each, and if such persons require to be supplied 

 with victuals, he shall be entitled to make a further demand 

 at the rate of a paha (2 Dollars each). " 



The Nakhoda is authorized to make a similar demand for 

 all persons who may have been passengers in vessels that have 

 been wrecked, if they have not reached their destined port ac- 

 cording to their agreement, and they shall have got landed 

 previously, the law is that the demand shall (also) be at the 

 rate of a half Tahil for each ; if otherwise (and they shall have 

 arrived at their destination) a paha (2 Dollars) each, which is 

 in full of all that can be demanded. 



