vacancies of any one or more of the faid commiffioners, during the recefs commiffion- parliament, it shall and may be lawful for his Majefty to no ers during the recefs of par- nate and appoint fuch perfon or perfons as he may think pro to fupply fuch vacancy or vacancies, and that every perfon fo minated and appointed shall be held and confidered to be invef with all the fame powers as are delegated to the commiffion appointed by this act.

liament.

Before any veffel is clear

ed outwards, the master, officers, and mariners, to

XIV. And, for the better regulation, encouragement, and pre vation of the health of the officers and feamen, employed in fhips veffels trading to the coast of Africa for flaves, and from thence to West Indies and America; be it enacted by the authority afo faid, That from and after the first day of August one thoufa feven hundred and ninety, before any fhip or vellel proceeds fea, the mafter, officers, and mariners fhall fign and execute an cles of agreement, and a mufter roll, in the prefence of, and w neffed by the clearing officer and one of the tidefmen of the p from whence the fhip departs; and a duplicate of the articles agreement and mufter roll, duly figned and executed, fhall be c livered to the aforefaid clearing officer, in order to its being loc unto annexed; ed with the proper officer in the custom houfe, according to t and no other forms hereunto annexed; which agreement fhall be conclufive ufed on penal- all parties for the time contracted for; and no other form wh ty of sol.

execute articles of agreement in the forms here

form to be

1

Muster roll
to be regularly
kept, &c.

Penalty for figning falfe mufter rolls,

&c.

No officer,

cumstances

herein men

foever of articles of agreement, or mufter roll, fhall be used, u der the penalty of fifty pounds, one half to be paid to the ufe Greenwich hofpital, and the other half to the informer, or oth person who fhall fue for the fame, in any of his Majefty's cou of record.

XV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefa That a continuation of the mufter roll fhall be regularly and du kept during the voyage; also a log book, wherein all penalti forfeitures, and charges against any officer or feaman fhall be r gularly entered and figned by the mafter, chief mate, and furgeo and delivered in upon oath, together with the mufter roll, on t arrival of the ship or veffel at her discharging port in Great Br tain, to the collector or other chief officer thereof; and if ai mafter, chief mate, or furgeon, fhall be convicted of figning fal mufter rolls, articles of agreement, or log book, he or they th forfeit and pay the fum of one hundred pounds, and fhall al fuffer fix months imprisonment.

XVI. And be it further enacted, That no officer, mariner, &c.to be turn- feaman, fhall be turned over or difcharged, upon any preten ed over or dif- whatfoever, unless into his Majefty's fhips of war, or to affift charged, but under the cir- fhip in actual diftress, which is to be certified by the princip officers of both fhips concerned, and an agreement made in wri ing with the faid officers or men fo lent, or, upon preferment, under ill state of health, with the consent of the party, for whic a certificate fhall be given from the captain of any of his Maje fty's fhips or veffels (if any are prefent) or, in their abfence, tw juftices of the peace, or the collector and comptroller of the cu toms at the place or port where fuch fhip or vellel fhall be, fhall first arrive, which certificate fhall be returned with the mu

tioned.

1

ter roll and log book, on the arrival of the ship at her delivering

port in Great Britain.

fourth of the

officers, &c.

ner.

XVII. And be it further enacted, That no mafter, commander, No flops, &c. or other perfon, fhall fupply the officers or mariners, feamen, or to be fupplied feafaring men, with more flops, tobacco, fpirits, or any other beyond one article whatsoever, than to the amount of one fourth part of the monthly monthly wages of fuch officer, mariner, feaman, or feafaring man. wages. XVIII. And be it further enacted, That if any officer, ma- Regulations riner, or feaman, fhall behave in a riotous, feditious, or mutinous with regard to manner, it shall be lawful for the commander or commanding behaving in a officer to put fuch officer, mariner, or feaman, into confinement, riotous, fedifor a time not exceeding twenty-four hours, before the fame is tious, or mureported to the captain or commander of any of his Majefty's tinous manhips or veffels (being present, or within a convenient diftance) who is hereby authorised to enquire into the cause of such complaint, and to examine upon oath, if found neceffary, and to grant ach relief and remedy therein as the circumftances of the cafe may require; and in cafe none of his Majesty's fhips are present, the cause of complaint fhall be fully examined into by the mafter and two officers, in the presence of the fhip's company; and if it hall be judged neceffary, for the fafety of the fhip and cargo, to continue the offender or offenders in confinement, fuch determinition fhall be drawn up in writing, with the reafons for coming to fuch refolution ftated at large, and figned by the master and two officers, which they are hereby enjoined, under the penalty of fifty pounds, to report, without delay, to the captain or commander of the firft fhip or. veffel belonging to his Majesty they may fall in with, and in default thereof to report the fame to the governor or chief officer of any British fort on the coaft of Africa, er to the governor of any of the Britifb Weft India islands, on their arrival at any port or road therein, that fuch measures may be taken to bring the offender or offenders to juftice as the nature of the cafe will admit.

this act, &c.

XIX. And be it further enacted, That the mafter or other Mafter to perfon having or taking the charge or command of every fuch caufe a printhip or veffel, fhall cause a printed abstract of this act, and alfo a ed abftract of copy of the schedule (A.) and of the mufter roll, refpectively an- to be hung up nexed to this act, to be hung up and affixed to the most publick in the mont place of fuch fhip or veffel, and shall cause the fame to be con- publick place tantly kept and renewed, fo that at all times they may be ac- in his veffel, cefible to the officers and feamen on board of fuch fhip or vessel, on penalty of pon pain that every fuch mafter or other perfon having or tak2g the charge or command of every such ship or veffel, who shall teglect to affix and renew the fame, fhall for every fuch offence forfeit the sum of twenty pounds.

201.

XX. And be it further enacted, That if any officer, mariner, If mutinous or feaman, charged with mutiny or fedition, fhall be delivered officers, &c. over or taken into cuftody by the order of the governor or chief be taken into officer of any fort on the coaft of Africa, or the governor of any order of a of the iflands in the British West Indies, a full ftatement, upon governor in cath (which they are hereby impowered to adminifter) fhall be Africa, or the made West Indies, a

statement, made out and lodged with the faid governor, together with th upon oath, to names of the witneffes who are to fupport the charge alledge belodged with the governor, against the prifoner or prifoners, in order to their being fent hom &e. and if the for trial in the high court of admiralty for the offence or offenc mafter does alledged againft him or them; and in cafe the faid mafter or com not appear at mander of the faid fhip or veffel fhall neglect to appear at th trial, upon being duly fummoned, or publick notice of trial bein given in the London Gazette, he fhall not only be nonfuited, b hall incur fuch further penalty as the court fhall adjudge.

the trial, he fhall incur

fuch penalty as the court fhall adjudge. Officers, &c.

to continue in pay till the

veffel is cleared inwards.

Wages of run men to go to

Greenwich Hofpital, &c.

Where of

fences may be

nalties fued

for.

XXI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefai That upon the arrival of every fhip or veffel at her difchargin port in Great Britain, the officers and feamen therein fhall t continued in full pay and provifions until the fhip is cleared in wards, or their accounts fettled and paid; and that all wages du to run men shall be forfeited and paid, one half to the use Greenwich Hofpital, and the other half to the merchants hofpita of the port to which fuch fhip belongs; and all other forfeiture fhall be applied as is fpecified in the articles of agreement; an cuftom, law, or usage, to the contrary notwithstanding.

XXII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid That any offence committed in breach or violation of this ac may be tried in any court of oyer and terminer, in any county i tried, and pe- England wherein any fuch offence fhall have been committed, or in cafe fuch offence shall have been committed on the feas, or i parts beyond the feas, then in fuch county within which the shi on board which fuch offence fhall have been committed fha have cleared out, or in the county of Middlefex; and any penalt or forfeiture inflicted by this act, may be profecuted, fued for, an recovered in any court of record in Great Britain, and in ever fuch action or fuit the party against whom judgement fhall b given (whether plaintiff or defendant) fhall pay double cofts o Limitation of fuit; and every fuch action fhall and may be brought at any tim within three years after the offence committed, and not after wards, and every fuch action fhall be carried on without wilfu delay.

actions.

Perfons taking falfe oaths,

to incur the pains of per. jury, &c.

Continuance of this act.

XXIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid That if any perfon, taking any oath by this act authorised o required to be taken, fhall thereby commit wilful perjury, or i any perfon fhall unlawfully procure or fuborn any perlon to tak any oath, by this act authorised or required to be taken, whereby fuch perfon fhall commit wilful perjury, every fuch perfon fhal incur and fuffer the like pains and penalties as are by law inflict ed upon perfons committing wilful and corrupt perjury, or fubor nation of perjury,

XXIV. And be it further enacted, That this act shall continue in force till the first day of Auguft one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, and no longer, except for the purpose of trying or fuing any perfon in confequence of any offence or offences committed in breach or violation of this act, or hearing and de termining upon fuch caufes and claims as fhall have been made or come before the commiffioners appointed by this act, for com

penfation

penfation for loffes fuftained under the regulations of and within the time limited by this act, or any other act or acts herein-before mentioned.

SCHEDULE (A.)

ARTICLES of agreement between the mafter, officers, mariners, feamen, and feafaring men of the fhip bound from the port of upon an intended voyage to the coaft of Africa, for from thence to the West Indies, or Amein Great Britain, or to

rica, and afterwards to
her delivering port in Europe.

FIRST, The mafter does hereby covenant, agree, and engage with the faid officers, feamen, feafaring men, landfmen, and boys, That he will pay, or cause to be paid, to each and every of them, at the rate of the wages per month, fterling value, as againft each perfon's name is expreffed in the mufter roll.

Secondly, The faid mafter does further agree and engage with the faid officers, mariners, feamen, feafaring men, landfmen, and boys, that they fhall be daily and regularly fupplied with good and wholefome victuals, and a portion of wine or fpirits, as hereafter specified; the faid provifions to be iffued and dreffed in the ufual manner in which it is done on board his Majefty's fhips of war, and served out to the fhip's company in the manner follow> ing; viz. To each man on

Sunday, One pound and an half of beef, containing fixteen ounces to the pound, and a pint of flour.

Monday, One pound of pork, containing fixteen ounces to the pound, and half a pint of peafe.

Tuefday, - One pint of oatmeal, and two ounces of butter, and four ounces of cheese; or, One pound of stock fish, with one eighth of a pint of oil, and a quarter of a pint of vinegar, in lieu of butter and cheese.

Wednesday, The fame as Monday.

Thursday, The fame as Sunday.

Friday,

The fame as Tuefday.

Saturday, The fame as Monday.

Each perfon, befides, to have fix pounds of bread per week; and a quarter of a pint of fpirits, or half a pint of wine, together with of water, per day, during the voyage.

In lieu of peafe and oatmeal may be ferved rice, Indian corn, Jams, or calavances.

In cafe of being put to fhort allowance, the mafter, officers, and feamen are to be at the fame allowance of provifions or water, and to be allowed fhort allowance money, at the rate of three pence per day if at two thirds allowance, and four pence halfpenny per day, per man, if at half allowance, and to be paid their hort allowance money ten days before the veffel fails from the West Indies or America.

And

And it is hereby further covenanted and agreed by and betwe the faid parties, That the mafter of the faid fhip, at his or t owners proper coft and charge, will hire and employ the nativ in their craft, to wood and water the said ship, during her cont nuance on the coaft of Africa, if fuch natives can be procure under the direction of a patroon belonging to the said ship.

And it is further agreed on the part of the said master, Th whenever the officers and feamen are employed trading in cr up the rivers, that the faid mafter will, on the part of the owne furnish the parties fo employed with a fufficient quantity of pain ed canvas, or tarpawling, for an awning, and provifions for t time, in the proportion, per diem, as is fet forth in the foregoi article, with proper utenfils and fire to dress the fame, and up failure thereof, for every fuch neglect he shall forfeit double t value of provifions.

The faid mafter does further agree and engage, That the fhall be a space referved for half the fhip's company to fhelt themselves, while the flaves are on board; if a frigate-built fhi it fhall be under the half deck; or in the fteerage, or under ftanding awning of wood, well caulked, in any other ship or veff

It is hereby further agreed by the faid mafter, That he will no upon any pretence whatsoever, turn over or discharge any of t officers or fhip's company belonging to the faid fhip, unless promotion, or to affift a fhip actually in diftrefs, and not then, u fefs properly certified as before expreffed in this act: and the fa mafter does hereby further agree to advance one month's pay the officers and fhip's company before the said ship departs fro Great Britain, at the time of fettling the river or harbour pa and that the monthly wages fhall commence from that perio and it is further agreed by the faid mafter, That he will pay, cause to be paid, one month's pay after the landing of the flav in the West Indies or America, ten days before the failing of t faid ship in homeward-bound paffage: and also the said mafter e gages to make the general fignal for failing twenty-four hou before the departure of the faid fhip; videlicet, by loofing the fo top fail and firing a gun.

And we the officers, mariners, feamen, feafaring men, land men, and boys, in confideration of the monthly or other wage foregoing ftipulations, and engagements, do feverally promise a agree, and bind ourselves by these presents to behave with d fubordination and refpect, and to obey the lawful commands our commander or fuperior officers on board the faid fhip, boats thereunto belonging, as becomes good and faithful feam and mariners, and at all places where the faid fhip shall touch or put into, or anchor, during the faid voyage, to do our utm endeavours for the prefervation of the faid fhip and cargo; a not to neglect or refufe doing our duty, by night or by day; n go out of the said ship on board any other veffel, or be on fho under any pretence whatsoever, without leave firft obtained our commander or commanding officer on board: and furth That we will, on no account whatsoever, leave or defert the fa