the additional approved boats or approved life-rafts required by the preceding sub-section (¿), the deficiency so caused may be made up by the supply of an equivalent number of approved buoyant deck seats or other approved buoyant deck fittings.

(d) Ships of this Class shall also carry approved life-belts or other similar approved articles of equal buoyancy suitable for being worl on the person, so that there may be at least one for each person on board the ship.

(e) At least one approved life-tuoy shall also be provided for each boat of wood or metal carried by the ship, but in no case shall less than six approved life-buoys be provided.

(f) Provided nevertheless that no ship of this Class shall be required to carry more boats, rafts, and other buoyant deck fittings than will furnish sufficient accommodation for all persons on board. DIVISION (D).-CLASS 2.-Rules for steamships carrying passengers

on short excursions or pleasure trips to sea, or in estuaries, or mouths of rivers during daylight.

(a) Ships of this Class shall carry at least two boats of Section (A), or Section (B), or Section (C), placed under davits, and with proper appliances for getting them into the water.

(b) They shall also carry other boats, approved buoyant apparatus and (or) approved life-belts sufficient (with the boats required by paragraph (a),) to keep afloat all the persons on board the ship. (c) At least four approved life-buoys shall be carried.

DIVISION (D).-CLASS 3.-Rules for steamships carrying passengers on rivers and (or) lakes, but not going to sea, or into rough

waters.

(a) Ships of this Class shall carry one boat in such a position that she can readily be got into the water. They shall also carry approved buoyant apparatus or approved life-belts and approved life-buoys at least sufficient, together with the boat, to keep afloat all persons carried on board.

(b) At least four approved life-buoys shall be carried.

Note.-A discretion may be exercised by the Board of Trade to relieve steam launches, steamers plying in narrow waters, and ferry boats, from the operation of the whole or part of Rule (a) of this Class.

GENERAL RULES.

(1) BOATS.-All boats shall be constructed and properly equipped as provided by these Rules, and all boats and other life-saving appliances are to be kept ready for use to the satisfaction of the Board of Trade. Internal buoyancy apparatus may be constructed of wood, or of copper or yellow metal of not less than 18 oz. to the superficial foot or of other durable material.

Section (A).-A boat of this section shall be a lifeboat, of whaleboat form, properly constructed of wood or metal, having for every 10 cubic feet of her capacity computed as in Rule (2) at least I cubic foot of strong and serviceable enclosed air-tight compartments, so constructed that water cannot find its way into them.

Section (B).-A boat of this section shall be a lifeboat of whaleboat form, properly constructed of wood or metal, having inside and outside buoyancy apparatus, together equal in efficiency to the buoyancy apparatus provided for a boat of Section (A). At least one-half of the buoyancy apparatus must be attached to the outside of the boat.

Section (C).-A boat of this section shall be a lifeboat properly constructed of wood or metal, having some buoyancy apparatus attached to the inside and (or) outside of the boat equal in efficiency to one-half of the buoyancy apparatus provided for a boat of Section (A) or Section (B). At least one-half of the buoyancy apparatus must be attached to the outside of the boat.

Section (D). A boat of this section shall be a properly constructed boat of wood or metal.

Section (E).-A boat of this section shall be a boat of approved construction, form, and material, and may be collapsible.

(2) CUBIC CAPACITY.-The cubic capacity of a boat shall be deemed to be her cubic capacity, ascertained (as in measu.ing ships for tonnage capacity) by Stirling's rule; but as the application of that rule entails much labour, the following simple plan, which is approximately accurate, may be adopted for general purposes, and when no question requiring absolute correct adjustment is raised :Measure the length and breadth outside and depth inside. Multiply them together and by 6; the product is the capacity of the boat in cubic feet. Thus a boat 28 ft. long, 8 ft. 6 in. broad, and 3 ft. 6 in. deep, will be regarded as having a capacity of 28 × 85 × 35 × 6 4998, or 500 cubic feet. If the oars are pulled in rowlocks, the bottom of the rowlock is to be considered the gunwale of the boat for ascertaining her depth.

(3) NUMBER OF PERSONS FOR BOATS.-The number of persons a boat of Section (A) shall be deemed fit to carry shall be the number of cubic feet ascertained as in Rule (2) divided by 10.

The number of persons a boat of Section (B), (C), (D), or (E), shall be deemed fit to carry shall be the number of cubic feet ascertained as in Rule (2) divided by 8. The space in the boat shall be sufficient for the seating of the persons carried in it, and for the proper use of the oars.

(4) APPLIANCES FOR LOWERING BOATS.-Appliances for getting a boat into the water must fulfil the following conditions:-Means are to be provided for speedily, but not necessarily simultaneously or automatically, detaching the boats from the lower blocks of the davit tackles; the boats placed under davits are to be attached to the davit tackles and kept ready for service; the davits are to be strong enough and so spaced that the boats can be swung out with facility; the points of attachment of the boats to the davits are to be sufficiently away from the ends of the boats to ensure their being easily swung clear of the davits; the boats' chocks are to be such as can be expeditiously removed; the davits, falls, blocks, eye-bolts, rings, and the whole of the tackling are to be of sufficient strength; the boat's falls are to be long enough to lower the boat into the water with safety when the vessel is light. The life lines shall be fitted to the davits and be long enough to reach the water when the vessel is light; and hooks are not to be attached to the lower tackle blocks.

(5) EQUIPMENTS FOR COLLAPSIBLE OR OTHER BOATS AND FOR LIFE-RAFTS.-In order to be properly equipped each boat shall be provided as follows:

(a) With the full single-banked complement of oars, and two

spare oars.

(6) With two plugs for each plug-hole, attached with lanyards or chains, and one set and a half of thole pins or crutches, attached to the boat by sound lanyards.

(c) With a sea anchor, a baler, a rudder and tiller, or yoke and yoke lines, a painter of sufficient length, and a boat-hook. The rudder and baler to be attached to the boat by sufficiently long lanyards, and kept ready for use. In boats where there may be a difficulty in fitting a rudder a steering oar may be provided instead. (d) A vessel to be kept filled with fresh water shall be provided for each boat.

(e) Life-rafts shall be fully provided with a suitable approved equipment.

(6) ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENTS FOR BOATS OF SECTION (A) AND SECTION (B).-In order to be properly equipped, each boat of Sections (A) and (B), in addition to being provided with all the requisites laid down in Rule (5), shall be equipped as follows, but ..not more than four boats in any one ship require to have this oatfit:

(a) With two hatchets or tomahawks, one to be kept in each end of the boat, and to be attached to the boat by a lanyard.

(6) With a mast or masts, and with at least one good sail, and proper gear for each.

(c) With a line becketed round the outside of the boat and securely made fast.

(d) With an efficient compass.

(e) With one gallon of vegetable or animal oil, and a vessel of an approved pattern, for distributing it in the water in rough weather. (f) With a lantern trimmed, with oil in its receiver sufficient to burn eight hours.

(7) NUMBER OF PERSONS FOR LIFE-RAFTS.-The number of persons that any approved life-raft for use at sea shall be deemed to be capable of carrying, shall be determined with reference to each separate pattern approved by the Board of Trade; provided always, that for every person so carried there shall be at least three cubic feet of strong and serviceable inclosed air-tight compartments, constructed so that water cannot find its way into them. Any approved life-raft of other construction may be used, provided that it has equivalent buoyancy to that herein before described. Every such approved life-raft shall be marked in such a way as to plainly indicate the number of adult persons it can carry.

(8) BUOYANT APPARATUS. -Approved buoyant apparatus shall be deemed sufficient, so far as buoyancy is concerned, for a number of persons, to be ascertained by dividing the number of pounds of iron which it is capable of supporting in fresh water, by 32. Such buoyant apparatus shall not require to be inflated before use, shall be of approved construction, and marked in such a way as plainly to indicate the number of persons for whom it is sufficient.

(9) LIFE BELTS.-An approved life-belt shall mean a belt which does not require to be inflated before use, and which is capable, at least, of floating in the water for 24 hours with 15 lbs. of iron suspended from it. Life-belts are to be cut out 2 in. under the armpits, and fitted so as to remain securely in their place when put on. (10) LIFE-BUOYs.—An approved life-buoy shall mean either(a) A life-buoy built of solid cork, capable of floating in the water for at least 24 hours with 32 lbs. of iron suspended from it; or

(6) A strong life-buoy of any other approved pattern and material, provided that it is capable of floating in the water for at least 24 hours with 32 lbs. of iron suspended from it, and provided also

that it is not stuffed with rushes, cork shavings, or other shavings, or loose granulated cork, or other loose material, and does not require inflation before us.

All life-buoys shall be fitted with beckets securely seized, and not less than two of them shall be fitted with life-lines 15 fathoms in length.

(11) POSITION OF LIFE-BUOYS AND LIFE-BELTS.-All life-buoys and life-belts shall be so placed as to be readily accessible to all persons on board, and so that their position may be known to those for whom they are intended.

(12) WATER-TIGHT COMPARTMENTS.--When ships of any class are divided into efficient water-tight compartments to the satisfaction of the Board of Trade, they shall only be required to carry additional boats, rafts, and other life-saving appliance of one-half of the capacity required by these Rules.

MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT, 1889.

CHAPTER 46.—Amendment of Shipping Act, 1854, and Acts amending same.

Section I. Masters of ships to have same remedies for recovery of disbursements and for liabilities incurred on account of ships as for recovery of wages, and power given to Court adjudicating to investigate accounts, set offs, and counterclaims.

Section 2. Advance Notes legalised to the extent of one month's wages, and Section 2 of the Merchant Seamen (Payment of Wages and Rating) Act, 1880, repealed.

Section 3. Deserters.-Register of seamen who have deserted or failed to join their ships after signing Agreement to be kept at Mercantile Marine Office for inspection of masters.

Section 4. Payment of Wages to British Seamen in foreign money to be made at rate of exchange current at place of payment, notwithstanding anything to contrary in Agreement.

Section 5. Provisions of Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and Amending Acts shall apply to ships propelled by electricity or other mechanical power.

Section 6. This Act to be cited as "Merchant Shipping Act, 1889," and to be construed as one with Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and subsequent Acts amending the same.

MERCHANT SHIPPING (TONNAGE) ACT, 1889.

Section I. In ascertaining register-tonnage no deduction shall be allowed in respect of any space which has not been first included in measurement of ship's tonnage. Repeals in Section 21, paragraph 4, Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, the words "First, that nothing shall be added for a closed-in space solely appropriated to the berthing of the crew, unless such space exceeds one-twentieth of the remaining tonnage of the ship, and in case of such excess, the excess only shall be added." And, secondly, and in Section 22, paragraph 2, of the same Act, the words "Subject to the deduction for a closed-in space appropriated to the crew as mentioned in Rule I.," shall be repealed. This Section is not to apply until after the expiration of five years from the passing of this Act to ships where deductions prohibited have been made before the 10th March, 1889, or to ships the building of which was commenced before that date, and which are registered between that date and the end of 1889, unless in either case before the expiration of the

SHIPPING WORLD

said five years the vessels are measured or re-measured in accordance with the provisions of this Act; but this exemption is not to extend to any ship in which the allowance for propelling-power space exceeds 50 per cent. of the gross tonnage.

Section 2. Allowance for engine-room in Steamers.-Space or spaces above crown of engine-room, and above the upper deck framed in and for the machinery or for admission of light and air, shall not be included in propelling-power space, except owner requests the Board of Trade in writing, and shall not be included in pursuance of such request, unless

(a) That portion is first included in measurement of grosstonnage; and

(b) A surveyor appointed under Fourth Part of Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, certifies that it is duly constructed, safe, and seaworthy, and cannot be used for any other purpose. Section 3. Deductions for Navigation Spaces.-The following deductions shall be made in ascertaining register-tonnage in measuring or re-measuring a ship, viz.:—

In Sailing Vessels-any space set apart and used exclusively for storage of sails.

In the case of any Ship

(1) Any space used exclusively for accommodation of

master.

(2) Any space used exclusively for working of the helm, the capstan, and anchor gear, or for keeping charts, signals, and other instruments of navigation, and boatswain's stores; and

(3) The space occupied by donkey-engine and boiler, if connected with the main pumps of the ship. These deductions are subject to the following provisions, viz.:—

That Board of Trade Surveyor certifies as to their suitability and efficiency; that there must be permanently marked over every such space the purpose to which it is to be applied; and that the deduction on account of space for stowage of sails must not exceed 2 per cent. of tonnage of ship.

Section 4. Deductions in certain Steamships.-In screw-steamships where an engine-room allowance of 32 per cent. of grosstonnage has been allowed at time of passing the Act, and which any crew space on deck has not been included in gross tonnage, whether its contents have been deducted therefrom or not, the crew space shall be, on the application of the owner or by direction of the Board of Trade, measured and added to register-tonnage; and if it appears that with such addition the engine-room does not occupy more than 13 per cent. of the tonnage of the ship, the existing allowance of 32 per cent. shall be continued, notwithstanding anything in this Act.

Section 5. Measurement of Ships with Double Bottoms for Water Ballast.-If the spaces between the inner and outer plating is certified by Board of Trade surveyor to be not available for cargo stores or fuel, then depth required by Section 21, paragraph 2, of Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, shall be taken to be the upper side of inner plating of double bottom, which is to be deemed the floortimber referred to in that section.

Section 6-Re-measurement of Foreign Ships.-Where tonnage of any foreign ship materially differs from that which would be her