42
of the Offices has been enough to keep insured vessels and cargoes in check. Uninsured vessels, and they are the only ones we require, are very few, legislation for.
Charters effected in Hong Kong always stipulate that in the case of beans, one third of the cargo shall be in bags, which hold about 80 to 100 lbs each.
Rice cargoes are always in bags, but some of these get broken in stowage. Charterers do not appear to make any provision for shifting boards, leaving it to the masters of the ship to do their best with such dunnage or planking which may be on board.
Ships bringing rice from Bangkok generally have teak planking as part of the cargo, which is used for the security of the rice.
About one third of the cargoes of ships hence to the Australian Colonies and California consists of clean rice packed in bags of about 50 lbs each and is stowed in the holds of the ships.
With regard to marking the deck and the sides of the vessel, and intended load line on the vessel, I see that paragraph 1 of section 5 Executive's ships Employed in the Coasting trade and it is a question whether the whole of the trade between North China and Singapore is not a coasting trade, the intermediate Ports being very near to each other.