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CHAPTER VI (ii).
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7. The signal for
r а hostile" vessel is as follows:
By Day.-Letter "T" flag, and a succession of explosive sound signals. By Night-Red long lights, and a succession of explosive sound signals.
8. In order to make certain that messages between the examination vessel and the examination battery are clearly understood, the following procedure in calling up and acknowledging is recommended :-
-
By Day. The military pendant should be kept bent to the halyards. When- ever communication is desired this pendant is to be hoisted close up by the sender, and "J" (alphabetical sign) shown on the semaphore. The receiver is to hoist the military pendant at the dip (half-way up) directly he perceives that a semaphore message is about to be sent him, and close up when he is ready to read. Should a word be missed the pendant is to be dipped; the sender will then repeat the message from the last word read correctly, inclusive. The pendant is to be hauled down on the conclusion of a message.
By Night.--The examination vessel and examination battery will mutually call
one another up by a succession of X's (—
&c.), flashed, -, &c.). Each
•) will
which are to be answered by a succession of T's (· word is also to be answered by a T. The V E sign conclude each message, which is to be acknowledged by RD (•-•-..).
9. Should a steamer, not a tug, be observed approaching the port having another, apparently disabled, steamer in tow, the character of both vessels should be ascertained. 10. Should the weather be too bad to allow of boarding being carried out, but not sufficiently heavy to prevent the examination steamer being on the examination ground, she should-
If a hostile vessel is seen, make the alarm signal as usual.
If a friendly vessel is clearly identified, signal the fact of her being friendly to
the examination battery.
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 the commercial code pendant and the commercial code signal found in the signal book to stop instantly," and if she is identified, which, if she is one of the vessels usually
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