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between two not very distant places—being sufficient time on any one vessel. It is the exception, and not the rule, for most men of these classes to make more than one voyage either before the mast or in the stokehold in the same ship. Some, as Consul Keene refers to, will never make more than a single passage in any vessel, and on arrival in port will leave her by hook or crook. As to giving notice to the master or owner of his intention to absent himself from his ship or duty not less than forty-eight hours before the time at which he ought to be on board at the time of joining, who ever had any experience of one taking the trouble to do so? They join or not as they please. The Board of Trade official or runner attends when the vessel leaves the dock or harbour to see if everybody turned up as they should do, inquires of the master or mate if there are any absentees, and is quite incapable of doing anything if half of them are missing. The "pier-head jumper"' then finds his opportunity, and those who engaged but failed to join or give any account of themselves just go back and repeat the game without let or hindrance. Ships are not brought in port nowadays to stay for a few weeks on a stretch; keep them moving is the method of to-day. Thus discharging, loading, repairing, storing, and bunkering go on simultaneously. Sometimes crews are discharged and the new crew engaged forthwith to save two operations at the mercantile marine offices, and in many cases this occurs only forty-eight hours —quite often only twenty-four hours—before the time intended for the vessel to sail. That rank insubordination has been for years the curse of the merchant service is patent to everybody connected with it, and high hopes were entertained that with the adoption of the Continuous Discharge for Seamen about two years ago matters would mend in the right direction. The Board of Trade Committee's report on this subject addressed to the Right Hon. C. T. Ritchie, M.P., etc., President of the Board of Trade, dated March 7, 1900, gives a brief though comprehensive history of discharges generally, and is contained in a series of twenty-nine sections. Section 27 states:
