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Enclosure.
COPY.
114
Government Marine Surveyor's Office,
Hongkong, 1st February, 1921,
Commander Charles W. Beckwith, R.N.,
Harbour Master, &c.
Sir,
I have the honour to transmit through you to the Board of Trade some particulars regarding the question of shelter deck tonnage in River craft plying on the Canton River, and relative to the letter from the Inspector General of Chinese maritime Customs on this subject. Since the year 1881, when the first Government Marine Surveyor was appointed from Home, it has been the custom to exclude the shelter deck from tonnage, if properly opened up with tonnage opening ‡ the round of stern and half the height of tween deck, provid- ed there are no obstructions such as continuous bulkheads with doors or rooms fitted in this space. It has alweve been treated as a shelter for deck passengers and not included in the ships tonnage. I would also point out that this compartment is fitted on either side with several large wooden cargo doors about 8 feet square, and on the half door principle, with a folding flap on top half, which is practically open for ventilation purposes the whole year
There are round and only shut to prevent rain driving in. also about 20 windows 24" square with sliding lattices on either side of the vessel and neither these nor the cargo doors are watertight. A waterway runs all round this deck with outlets at intervals to free the deck from water and a number of mooring pipes in bulwarks fitted almost flush to the main deck are also serviceable for this purposes. I understand that prior to ships of this type having been built.
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