Directory_and_Chronicle_1868 — Page 524

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CHINESE PASSENGERS' ACT.

241

III.—When the ship is ready to receive the passengers on board, the passage broker will bring a written notice to that effect from the master, when a time will be fixed for the attendance of the passengers at this office to have their contract passage tickets explained and signed, in the presence of the broker or his deputy.

Note. This notice must be given at least 24 hours before the passengers appear at this office, and on the same day the master, with two approved sureties, will attend and execute the bond under section 4 of the Chinese Passenger Act 1855, and deposit the following documents :-

I.-Government Surveyor's certificate of measurement and seaworthiness.

II.--Master's certificate relative to Chinese doctor (provided he fails in securing an European surgeon for a reasonable remuneration.)

III. Certificate under the chop seals of two Chinese apothecaries' shops, vouching for competency of doctor.

IV.-List of provisions and medicines, according to the scale laid down in the Act, signed by the master.

V.-Certificate of a resident physician that he has examind the medicines, that they are good, and in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

VL-Passenger list in duplicate, with a summay attached, specifying the numbers respectively of passengers, under the Act, cabin passengers, crew, including master and all persons on ship's articles; shewing total number of souls on board, signed by master.

Note.-Chinese cooks, stewards, interpreter, doctor, &c., are invariably passengers, berthed and fed with the others, although borne by law on the ship's articles for purposes of discipline. In future, their names, with their rating on board, will appear at the end of the passenger lists, and they will be included in the gross number that the ship can carry, but numerically they will be entered, as here- tofore, under the head of "erew on ship's articles." About 4 cooks and stewards to every 100 passengers has been the rule.

VII. Either at this time or after the passengers are collected on board they must be inspected individually by a resident surgeon, who must also inspect the crew and give his certificate that none appear, by reason of any bodily or mental disease, unfit to proceed or likely to endanger the health or safety of other persons about to proceed, in such vessel. VIII.-The master will give notice when all the passengers are on board and when he wishes to clear for sea.

Note. The broker must personally assure himself that every passenger is on board and report to that effect, after which the emigration officer will proceed on board, muster and count the passengers, and make a final inspection of the ship. After this is done, and not before, the ship is at liberty to shift her berth, if it is desired; the master mentioning the fact to the harbour master; who will then deliver to him his emigration papers and port clearance.

In the fitting up and equipment of Chinese passenger ships, the following general rules will obtain,-

I.-Ships with full compliment of passengers, shall carry boats according to the following scale, of size and description approved by the emigration officer:-

Less than 200 Tons Registered, 200 to 400

►

30

400

600

""

""

600

>>

1,000

1,000

1,500

59

*

J

"

1,500 and upwards

Boats.

2

3

6

7

Note. In every case one boat must be a properly fitted life boat, and one a

long boat.

II.-Ships must carry at least 2 life buoys, slung, prepared for sudden emergencies. III. In the absence of a forcepump and hose, reaching fore and aft, a ship must be provided with not less that 3 dozen buckets, in case of fire.

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