6) Steering.-The applicant will be required to demonstrate his knowledge of handling the wheel of a steamer by obeying orders passed to him as " wheelman.”

WILLIAM C. REDFIELD,

Secretary.

The able seaman should also know the following:

Markings and use of the hand lead.

Handling of a boat under sail.

Running a steam winch.

Slinging a scaffold plank.

Use of the life line and breeches buoy-that is what to do on the

ship end of the line.

Use of rockets.

Use of line-throwing gun.

Use of the heaving line.

Slinging a cask.
Sewing canvas.

International Code Flags.

Hand semaphore signals.

An able seaman might know a lot more, but the above coupled with the things mentioned by Mr. Redfield, should turn him out as a competent American sailorman.

The following common sense advice taken from the pages of the Coast Seamen's Journal, on "Teaching Seamanship,' is given-it clearly sets forth the things a modern merchant sailorman should know.

Were we asked to prescribe a course of instruction in seamanship for beginners, we should arrange it somewhat as follows:

First-Teach the pupil the names, locations and uses of the different parts of the ship, and of her spars, sails, standing and running riggings; together with the meaning of such terms as port, starboard, lee, weather, astern, ahead, abaft, aloft and alow.

Second-Show him how to box the compass and, if possible, how to steer. Explain to him the meaning of the commands, "Hard up" and "Hard down the helm," and why he must turn the wheel to port when ordered to starboard the helm, and vice versa. Also show him the marks on the hand leadline.

Third-Teach him how to whip a rope; how to make a clinch; how to tie a reef knot; how to make the bends and hitches commonly used on a ship, such as a bowline, clove hitch, sheet bend, anchor bend, rolling hitch, timber hitch, bow line on a bight, cat's paw, blackwall hitch, midshipman's hitch, single carrick bend, sheepshank, etc. Also how to put on a strop and how to shorten a cargo

sling.

Fourth-Take up splicing and knotting-eye splice, short splice, long splice, crown and wall knot, lanyard knot and manrope knot. Instruct the learner how to worm, parcel and serve a rope; how to put on a seizing; how to pass the head earing on a sail; how to put on a ratline; how to make plain sennit and paunch mats, and explain their uses.

Fifth-Give the pupils a thorough drilling in the loosing, setting, taking in, reefing and furling of the sails; in bracing the yards; in catting and fishing the anchors; in pulling boats and handling of oars; in sending the lighter spars down on deck and up again, and such other maneuvers as are generally recognized as necessary to the safe navigation of ships. In fact, these drills might, with great benefit to the learners, alternate daily with the instruction in the other details of seamanship.

A willing, healthy young fellow, who has gone through a course of training as outlined above, will, with two or three months of actual seafaring behind him, be well worth his keep and wages as a sailor. The experience he will then be daily gaining will soon fill up the gaps in his nautical education necessarily left by his hurried training ship instruction, till in another year or two he will have developed into a full-fledged able seaman. If he then chooses to take up with "fancy work"-and they usually do-all good and well. But safety first. And safety for a man before the mast lies in knowing how to perform in a ship-shape manner the daily, prosaic, everyday routine duties of an able seaman.

The laws governing the American Seaman, in which are incorporated the laws known as the "Seamen's Act," follow. They are of interest to every one who is governed by them. Laws are made to provide for the proper regulation of our affairs, and no matter how wordy, the intent is to uphold recognized authority, and be just to all-sea lawyers take notice,

CHAPTER XXIV

U. S. NAVIGATION LAWS GOVERNING MERCHANT

Definitions.

SEAMEN

In the construction of this Title [R. S., 4501-4613], every person having the command of any vessel belonging to any citizen of the United States shall be deemed to be the master thereof; and every person (apprentices excepted) who shall be employed or engaged to serve in any capacity on board the same shall be deemed and taken to be a seaman; " and the term "vessel " shall be understood to comprehend every description of vessel navigating on any sea or channel, lake or river, to which the provisions of this Title may be applicable, and the term owner" shall be taken and understood to comprehend all the several persons, if more than one, to whom the vessel shall belong. (R. S., 4612.)

Exemption for militia duty.

66

Pilots, mariners actually employed in the sea service of any citizen or merchant within the United States, and all persons who are exempted by the laws of the respective States or Territories shall be exempted from militia duty, without regard to age. (Jan. 26, 1903; sec. 2.)

Form of articles of agreement.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

(Date and place of first signature of agreement, including name of shipping-office.)

It is agreed between the master and seamen or mariners of the is at present master, or who

of which

ever shall go for master, now bound from the port of

to (here the voyage is to be described, and the places named at which the vessel is to touch, or if that cannot be done, the general nature and probable length of the voyage is to be stated.)

And the said crew agree to conduct themselves in an orderly, faithful, honest, and sober manner, and to be at all times diligent in their respective duties, and to be obedient to the lawful commands of the said master, or of any person who shall lawfully succeed him, and of their superior officers in everything relating to the vessel, and the stores and cargo thereof, whether on board, in boats, or on shore; and in consideration of which service, to be duly performed, the said master hereby agrees to pay the said crew, as wages, the sums against their names respectively expressed, and to supply them with provisions according to the annexed scale. And it is hereby agreed that any embezzlement, or willful or negligent destruction of any part of the vessel's cargo or stores, shall be made good to the owner out of the wages of the person guilty of the same; and if any person enters himself as qualified for a duty which he proves himself incompetent to perform, his wages shall be reduced in proportion to his incompetency. And it is also agreed that if any member of the crew considers himself to be aggrieved by any breach of the agreement or otherwise, he shall represent the same to the master or officer in charge of the vessel, in a quiet and orderly manner, who shall thereupon take such steps as the case may require. And it is also agreed that (here any other stipulations may be inserted to which the parties agree, and which are not contrary to law).

In witness whereof the said parties have subscribed their names hereto, on the days against their respective signatures mentioned. master, on the

Signed by eighteen hundred and

day of

Wages per month.

Wages per run.

Amount of allotment.

and time of entry.
Time at which he is to be
on board.

Shipping commissioner's
signature or initials.
Allotment payable to-

In what capacity.

Conduct qualifications.

(June 26, 1884; sec. 10; Dec. 21, 1898; sec. 24.)

NOTE. In the place for signatures and descriptions of men engaged after the first departure of the ship, the entries are to be made as above, except that the signatures of the consul or vice-consul, officer of customs, or witness before whom the man is engaged, is to be substituted for that of the shipping-master.

Scale of provisions to be allowed and served out to crew during the voyage.