THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 17TH JUNE, 1876.
NOTIFICATION.
269
The attention of Owners and Masters of all British Ships arriving at this Port, is called to the following Sections-5, 6 and 7,—of "The Merchant Shipping Act, 1875.”
The penalties provided by Section 7, for non-compliance with the provisions of Sections 5 and 6, will be enforced on all Masters of British Ships arriving at Hongkong, that have not their deck and load-lines marked in accordance with the above quoted Act.
5. Every British Ship registered on or after the first day of November, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, shall, before registry, and every British Ship registered before that day shall, on or before that day, be permanently and conspicuously marked with lines of not less than twelve inches in length and one inch in breadth, painted longitudinally on each side amidships, or as near thereto as is practicable, and indicating the position of each deck which is above water.
"The upper edge of each of these lines shall be level with the upper side of the deck plank next the waterway at the place of marking.
"The lines shall be white or yellow on a dark ground, or black on a light ground.
Provided that:-
"(1.) This Section shall not apply to Ships employed in the consting trade or in fishing, nor
to pleasure yachts; and
(2.) If a registered British Ship is not within a British port of registry, at any time before the first day of November, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, she shall be marked as by this section required within one month after her next return to a British port of registry subsequent to that date.
"6. With respect to the marking of a load-line on British Ships, the following provisions shall have effect:-
(1.) From and after the first day of November, one thousand eight hundred and seventy- five, the owner of every British Ship shall, before entering his ship outwards from any port in the United Kingdom upon any voyage for which he is required so to enter her, or if that is not practicable, as soon after as may be, mark upon each of her sides amid- ships, or as near thereto as is practicable, in white or yellow on a dark ground, or in black on a light ground, a circular disc, twelve inches in diameter, with a horizontal line eighteen inches in length, drawn through its centre;
(2.) The centre of this disc shall indicate the maximum load-line in salt water, to which the
owner intends to load the Ship for that voyage;
(3.) He shall also, upon so entering her, insert in the form of entry delivered to the Collector or other principal Officer of Customs, a statement in writing of the distance in feet and inches between the centre of this disc and the upper edge of each of the lines indicating the position of the Ship's decks which is above that centre;
(4.) If default is made in delivering this statement in the case of any Ship, any Officer of
Customs may
refuse to enter the Ship outwards;
*(5.) The master of the Ship shall enter a copy of this statement in the agreement with the crew before it is signed by any member of the crew, and no Superintendent of any Mercantile Marine Office sball proceed with the engagement of the crew until this entry is made;
*(6.) The master of the Ship shall also enter a copy of this statement in the official log book ; (7.) When a Ship has been marked as by this section required, she shall be kept so marked
until her next return to a port of discharge in the United Kingdom.
7. Any owner or master of a British Ship who neglects to cause his Ship to be marked as by this Act required, or to keep her so marked, and any person who conceals, removes, alters, defaces, or obliterates, or suffers any person under his control to conceal, remove, alter, deface, or obliterate, any of the said marks, except in the event of the particulars thereby denoted being lawfully altered, or except for the purpose of escaping capture by an enemy, shall for each offence incur a penalty not exceeding one hundred pounds.
"If any of the marks required by this Act is in any respect inaccurate, so as to be likely to mislead, the owner of the Ship shall incur a penalty not execeding one hundred pounds."
Harbour Department, Hongkong, 7th June, 1876.
H. G. THOMSETT, R.N.,
Harbour Master, &c.