ARTICLE 154.

He shall keep a register of the orders of the commander-in-chief, noting the day and the hour when he shall have received them. This register shall be kept according to such form annexed as may be prescribed.

ARTICLE 155.

He shall keep another register, in which he shall insert the register number of the orders he may transmit, noting the day and the hour when they are transmitted.

ARTICLE 156.

He shall take care, when officers are called on board to receive verbal orders, that they note in an order book, which they must bring for that purpose, the substance of the order given.

ARTICLE 157.

He shall cause to be inserted in a register all signals which may be made in the fleet or squadron.

ARTICLE 158.

The captain of the fleet shall be subject only to the orders and directions of the commander-in-chief, or whoever may act as commander-in-chief for the time being.

ARTICLE 159.

Whenever the captain of the fleet shall be detailed for, or employed on, any other service, he shall take rank and command according to his commission.

CHAPTER IX.

COMMANDERS OF VESSELS.

ARTICLE 160.

When an officer shall be ordered to the command of a vessel, he shall, immediately upon joining her, examine her throughout, and

ascertain her state and condition. If she is still under the charge of the commanding officer of a navy yard, he will be very attentive to the repair and equipment of the vessel, and will report to the commanding officer of the navy yard any defects or deficiencies which in his opinion require further attention, and he will be very particular in his examination and reports at the time when it may be proposed to transfer the vessel entirely to his charge, so as to prevent any subsequent complaints in relation to neglects or deficiencies in the repairs or equipments; but the commander of the vessel is to exercise no authority or control over the repairs or equipments of the vessel before she is delivered into his charge, or over the officers and mechanics of the navy yard, unless with the assent and direction of the commanding officer of the yard.

ARTICLE 161.

After assuming the command, he will be held responsible for the whole conduct and good government of the officers and others belonging to the vessel, according to the laws and regulations for the government of the navy, and must set an example of respect and obedience to his superiors, and of unremitted attention to his duties.

ARTICLE 162.

He shall immediately prepare such internal regulations for the general police of the vessel under his command as he may think necessary or expedient, but when under the command of a superior officer, he shall submit the same for his approval or modification.

ARTICLE 163.

When a vessel shall be transferred by the commanding officer of a navy yard to him for service, he shall hoist his pendant and use every exertion to complete the arrangements that may be necessary for her efficient employment at sea, and shall report weekly her state, and any deficiency of officers or men, to the proper authority, that they may be transmitted to the Secretary of the Navy for his information.

ARTICLE 164.

When appointed to the command of a vessel, he shall be furnished with a statement, in such forms as may be prescribed, of her

condition and her presumed or ascertained qualities, by the commandant of the navy yard, or by the previous commander of the vessel, if the vessel be already in commission.

ARTICLE 165.

He shall, as soon as possible, arrange his men at their quarters, and at their various stations, for performing their different duties, and shall exercise them as frequently as other duties will permit before going to sea, and shall cause the quarter, watch, and station bills to be fairly made out and hung in some conspicuous place, where all persons on board may have access to them for information.

ARTICLE 166.

He shall, as soon as possible after recruits are received on board, rate them according to their abilities, without partiality or favor; but no person shall be rated ordinary seaman who shall not have been employed at sea two years, nor seaman unless he shall have been at sea five years; and he shall take care that every person does actually perform the duties of the station in which he is rated.

ARTICLE 167.

He shall, as often as once in three months, at general muster, revise the ratings of the petty officers and crew, having strict regard to their merits and demerits; but the number of men in any rating which may be established by regulations shall in no case be exceeded, except to make good a deficiency in some superior rating, or by the express order of the Secretary of the Navy, or the commanderin-chief of the squadron on foreign service. He shall make monthly returns to his immediate commander of the state of his crew, according to such form as may be prescribed.

ARTICLE 168.

He shall, when it can be done without great inconvenience, cause recruits when they first join the vessel to be exercised at quarters daily, and the whole ship's company shall at all times be exercised at quarters as often as it can be done without neglecting other indispensable duties. Great pains must be taken in the first instance to instruct the men in the minutest details of the exercise, giving each

necessary word of command; but as they become well acquainted with their duties in this respect, the words of command shall be diminished until the men are able to perform their exercises in a perfect manner without any special orders or words of command.

ARTICLE 169.

The petty officers and crews of vessels shall be instructed, successively, by their divisions at quarters, in the simplest modes of loading and firing small arms, and in the use of the cutlass and pike; and in the various modes of boarding a vessel, or of defending her against boarders. Great pains must be taken to render them sk

ful in these duties.

ARTICLE 170.

The men at quarters shall be arranged in divisions, under the charge of particular officers, from whom the commander shall require that every thing, appertaining to the division, shall be kept in the most perfect order for action, that the men are duly instructed in their exercises, and that their clothing is carefully and neatly preserved.

ARTICLE 171.

The men shall not be allowed to sell, exchange, or in any manner dispose of, clothing or necessaries, without special permission; and, as far as possible, all traffic, which may require them to draw additional supplies from the purser, shall be prevented.

ARTICLE 172.

He shall give due encouragement to such persons as may distinguish themselves by meritorious behaviour; and shall correct or report those who may be guilty of misconduct.

ARTICLE 173.

He alone shall order corporeal punishment to be inflicted, unless it shall have been directed by sentence of a court martial, which order shall be in writing, and shall specify the offence or offences, and the extent of the punishment to be inflicted; and such order, or the sentence of the court martial, should be read, and the punish

ment inflicted, in presence of the officers and others belonging to the vessel. All orders for punishment shall be immediately entered on the log book.

ARTICLE 174.

He will conform to the spirit of the law, and never order any ndividual to be punished with more than twelve lashes, for any offence or offences committed at the same time, nor shall he order or permit any petty officer to be flogged, unless by sentence of a court martial. He shall make reports, quarterly, according to such form as may be prescribed, to the commander of the fleet, squadron, or division, to be by him transmitted, through the proper channel, to the Secretary of the Navy, of all punishments which shall have been inflicted on board the vessel under his command, stating the offence, the nature and degree, or extent, of the punishment, with such explanatory remarks as he may think proper to make.

ARTICLE 175.

When in the ports of the United States, he shall transmit, through the proper channels, to the Secretary of the Navy, monthly reports, in such forms as may be prescribed, of all persons who have been received on board, or who may have died, been discharged, or deserted from the vessel under his command, within that period. When on a foreign station, similar reports shall be made to the commander of the fleet or squadron.

ARTICLE 176.

He may cause to be expended, in firing at a target, in each of the first six months after receiving a new crew on board, not exceeding as many cartridges and round shot as shall amount to a full broadside, and twenty rounds of musket ball cartridges for each man exercised in the use of small arms, and the same quantity for every three months thereafter, while the vessel is in commission. When possible, the target shall be so placed that the cannon shot may be recovered. The number of cartridges, and weight of powder, and number of shot expended in each exercise is to be noted in the log book at the time.