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CHAPTER VI (ii).
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11. It is hardly possible that, if the weather is too bad to board a vessel, the examination steamer would be able to approach her sufficiently close at night or in a fog to ascertain her nature, and in this case the examination steamer will carry out her duties as in the following paragraph.
12. Should the weather be too bad to allow the examination steamers to remain on the examination grounds they will withdraw to shelter as follows:-
(a.) The Sulphur Channel Examination Steamer.-To under lee of Green Island or West Point, according to the direction of the wind, protected by Upper and Lower Belchers Battery.
(b.) The Stonecutters North Channel Examination Steamer.--To under lee of
north side of Stonecutters Island, protected by Albion Battery.
(c.) Lyemun Examination Steamer.-In Little Sywan Bay or in Junk Bay, according to direction of wind, protected in former case by Gough and Pottinger Batteries, and in the latter case by Sywan and Redoubt Batteries.
(c.) Special Instructions for the Examination Steamer.
1. The examination steamer will carry out her work as far out in the examination ground as the weather will permit, taking care to keep within signal distance of the examination battery. She will on no account take up her position in the illuminated area. The traffic narrows towards the mouth of a harbour, thus lessening the chance of vessels slipping by the examination steamer undetected in a fog.
2. On a vessel approaching the port, the examination steamer will close her, flying Ithe commercial code pendant in the signal book to "stop instantly," and if she is identified, which, if she is one of the vessels usually trading with the port, will readily be done, the examining officer will allow her to proceed with as little delay as possible, and will signal to the examination battery that she is a friendly vessel.
3. If the approaching vessel is not recognized, she will be boarded, and if found correct, the same course will be followed.
4. If, however, there appears to be anything suspicious about her, either from the number or appearance of her crew, the nationality of her master and mates, the nature of the replies given to the examination officer's inquiries, or any other reason, the ship's papers are to be examined. Should the papers prove to be correct, and their examination remove all doubt from the mind of the examining officer, the examination steamer will signal her as friendly, and the vessel can then be allowed to proceed.
Should the examination of the ship's papers fail to allay suspicions, a search must be instituted, and the nature of the cargo ascertained as far as possible, and compared with the manifest. The vessel should be anchored in the examination ground, and the examination steamer will signal to the examination battery that the vessel is undergoing search. If the search is satisfactory the vessel can be allowed to proceed, and the examination steamer will signal to the examination battery that she is a friendly vessel. Should the search fail to remove, or strengthen previous suspicions, the case should be reported to the examination battery and to the Chief Examining Officer.
At Hong Kong, where the army is responsible for the regulation of traffic, the Officer Commanding the examination battery will transmit the report to the military officer in command. Until instructions are received from the officer to whom the case is reported, a suspicious vessel should be directed to remain on the examination ground, and be warned that she will not be permitted to enter or leave the port without further orders.
5. Should a vessel fail to "bring to" when ordered by signal or by a gun fired by the examination steamer, the latter will at once signal the examination battery to bring her to. Should the vessel bring to" after the examination battery has warned her by shot to do so, the same procedure as in instruction 4 should be carried out.
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