149. At Birkenhead, in 1864, the stevedores paid the coalheavers per ton: 9d. for discharging ballast, 8d. for loading coal, and 3. for trimming ships up to 400 tons, and 6d. above. A vessel there received from the tip 270 tons between four o'clock in the afternoon and eight the next morning.

150. In the Tyne, where the wagons are let down by a drop, and are computed to hold 53 cwt. each, it has been recommended to have the contents of one full wagon weighed, and to see that the others are full, in order to fortify the master who has to sign bills of lading for weight, although, generally speaking, he never sees the cargo weighed. On the Tyne and Wear, the original wagon of 53 cwt. is being largely superseded. Coals are brought for shipment in trucks containing from 4 to 8 tons. Cargoes shipped at Hull and discharged in a port in the English Channel usually make out short of the quantity invoiced.

151. Loading in the Tyne. Shippers are compelled by law to load vessels in due turn as they are ready. The Act of Parliament applies only to vessels of more than 6 keels (127 tons 4 cwt.), but through custom it is adopted almost universally. The detention in the Tyne depends therefore mostly on the length of turn. Steamers do not take turn with sailing ships. The greater certainty and regularity of steamers in performing their voyages made it necessary to arrange for their loadings some time beforehand. Steamers are

usually on time charter, and run regularly to London or elsewhere, where their position a week or a fortnight in advance is always known (accidents of course excepted), and arrangements are made by the colliery accordingly. Sailing ships are uncertain even after arrival in the port, having ballast to discharge, to do which they have a longer or shorter time to wait. Hence the loadings of the two classes of vessels are practically kept separate. Steamers load at the time pre-arranged for, and sailing ships take turn among themselves. This plan, which is the only one that will suit the requirements of the Tyne coal trade, is found to work very well and satisfactorily. The time occupied in loading ships, when actually commenced, depends on the produce of the colliery; smaller collieries will load 12 to 15 keel per day, the larger ones 30 to 40 keel, and upwards; some of the gas collieries ship 1,200 and 1,500 tons per day. Coal shipments in the river Wear are much the same as those on the Tyne. In the article demurrage reference is made to the time occupied in loading and unloading coal.

152. The usual rate of discharge in the pool in the Thames, is 49 tons per day; Queen's Bench, 25th June, 1853, and 12th August, 1855.

153. Gas Coal. Newcastle gas coal is heavier than HARTLEY'S. Peareth main and Pelaw main gas coal will stow 3 or 4 cent. more than ordinary house coal, from the same pit. In the delivery of a large quantity of Newcastle gas coal at a Channel port, the discharge has been 3 cent. more than the quantity invoiced.

154. Cannel. Glasgow cannel stows at least 10 cent. less than Newcastle house coal. One authority says that Newcastle cannel stows and turns out the same as house coal; others say that it is so much heavier than ordinary gas coal that a ship cannot fill herself with it; RAMSAY'S cannel is much heavier than ordinary gas coal, a ship cannot fill herself with it. Specific gravity of cannel say 1.270. Dr. URE says 1.238.

155. Culm (Welsh) is shipped chiefly at what are termed the lower ports in the Bristol Channel, Neath, Llanelly, Swansea, and Burry Port. Culm is anthracite or smokeless, and is heavier than Welsh coal; it is generally shipped "unscreened," or what is termed "through and through," as it is raised from the colliery. The large is used in malt-houses, the small in lime-kilns. The brigantine Souvenir, of Jersey, which registers 157 tons, and is 97 feet long, rolls very much with 297 tons of Llanelly culm, when she draws aft 13 feet 4 inches, forward 11 feet 10 inches, and her hold is say seveneighths full. When filled with 300 tons Llanelly coal she draws 13 feet aft and 11 feet 6 inches forward, and is comparatively easy at With 285 tons Newcastle coal (High Jarrow), which fills her chock-a-block, she draws less than with the Welsh coal. Specific gravity culm 1.300 to 1.370. An Irish barrel of culm is 24 cwt. The master or owner of every steamer trading to a foreign port must, within six days of final clearance, deliver to the Custom-house a certificate of quantity of coal or fuel shipped for ship's use, under a penalty of £5; see Customs' Laws Consolidated Act, 1876.

sea.

156. Coke. The specific gravity averages 0-744; this may be correct in regard to coke produced in gas works, which is much lighter than that made for locomotive and furnace or foundry use. Even among the latter cokes, shipped in the Tyne, there is considerable difference in the weight. The best foundry Tyne coke is very heavy, and the condensed is nearly the weight of coal. In the standard table of goods proportioned in stowage, at the beginning of this work, 11 tons are taken to occupy the same space as 21 tons 4 cwt. or 1 keel of Newcastle coal. In practice, ships stow 12 tons of coke per keel; large vessels more. A vessel was chartered at £23 keel of 213 tons upon the quantity of coal which the master guaranteed to load, i.e. 9 keel. She loaded 6 keel of coal and 8 keel of coke. The merchant con

tended she was not of 9-keel capacity. The master, however, proved that he had discharged 885 quarters of wheat, which is over 9 keel bulk; and that he had had 200 tons of iron ore, and at another time 194 tons of iron, on board. This was considered sufficient evidence of the ship's capacity for 9 keels of coal. An experienced coal owner considers that the coke loaded in this case must have been of a very light description; with heavy Tyne coke she would have taken 6 keels of coal and nearly 4 keels of coke. A good stowing ship of 9-keels capacity should take 6 keels of coal and 4 of heavy coke; or 40 tons of coal and 8 or 9 keels of coke. RAMSAY's patent condensed coke (Newcastle) is of the specific gravity of steam coal, or nearly so. Peat coke is estimated to occupy the same space as common coke. The details of a partial cargo of coke occur in the article charter-party.

157. Charcoal. It is the common practice to estimate 100 tons of charcoal to occupy the same space as 200 tons of coke; see charcoal. TWELVE CARGOES INVOICED AT NEWCASTLE AND DISCHARGED AT PLYMOUTH.

Dimensions Star of the West: register tonnage 176, length 89 feet, breadth 19 feet 7 inches, depth of hold 12 feet 8 inches. Tamar: register tonnage 133, length 76% feet, breadth 17 feet, depth of hold 11, feet.

158. For conveyance abroad the harder descriptions of coal are considered best, not being so liable to break during the transit from the pit to a distant place of discharge. Mr. MORGAN, British Consul at Babia, complained in 1856, of the preference given to foreign vessels by the merchants there. In alluding to one of the causes,