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from iron as possible, by flooring over a sufficient space, bulkheading it round, and lining the interior with blanketing or other woollen stuff, being careful to close all openings, particularly in the flooring, to prevent any loose powder, which may escape, from finding its way among the other cargo. The magazine should, if possible, be constructed near a hatchway, for facility of access in case of accidental fire, and for convenience of stowing and discharging-powder being generally the last article shipped and the first discharged. The Admiralty instructions are " whenever any quantity of gunpowder, ammunition, or combustibles exceeding 20 feet, is shipped in a hired vessel or freight ship, or any similar articles are shipped in the same vessel on private account, they must be properly secured by the owners in a magazine, fastened with copper nails, and provided with a copper padlock, with appendages for the door. The same regulations are to apply in all cases to ships engaged for the conveyance of troops when the number of men exceeds fifty."

486. When government powder or combustibles are shipped for conveyance under the Admiralty regulations, a magazine or place of security, if considered necessary by the authorities, is built by and at the expense of the crown; and in freight ships the owners are paid freight on the external measurement, and not on the tonnage only, of the powder or combustibles. The magazine is to be returned to the government. A magazine, however, is not required for the following small quantities:—

1st.-Powder alone, 20 feet.
2nd.-Ammunition alone, 20 feet.

3rd.-Powder and ammunition (stowed in one case), 20 feet.
4th.-Combustibles, 20 feet.

Nor is a magazine required when only 20 feet of combustibles are shipped in the same vessel with only 20 feet of the articles Nos. 1 to 3. These quantities under 20 feet, are to be stored by the shipowner in a place of security, approved by the surveying officer.

487. When ammunition, rockets especially, are stowed in a magazine in the after part of a screw steamer, every precaution should be observed to prevent movement by the action of the propeller, as the friction may create ignition; this is suspected to have occurred on board the steamer Rangoon, in 1865. In the African trade, a ship of 700 tons takes about 35 tons gunpowder, deposited in a magazine constructed by a bulkhead in the lower hold, across the run, decked over with a scuttle-hatch having leaded seams; see palleting. A shipmaster is liable to a penalty of £20, besides 2s. for every pound of gunpowder not delivered into a licensed magazine,

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which is, in all cases, two miles at least from a church; see ammunition. Most of the Indian policies of insurance except, by memorandum, all loss by carrying gunpowder as cargo. Ships proceeding to Calcutta, land it at Moyapore. At the Phillipine Islands vessels are required to deposit their powder in closed and marked packages, on their entering the river, or pay a fine of a piastre (4s. 64d.) for every pound retained on board. In some ports it is imperative, under penalties, to give notice to the authorities, and to land powder within a stated time; before landing other cargo.

488. At Liverpool, March, 1865, Mr. M'IVER prosecuted Mr. M'PHERSON, agent for Mr. C. O. BLAKE, London, for sending "prepared tan" by the steamer Australasian to New York; the article was in reality a powerful blasting powder, liable to instant explosion by heavy pressure; fined £5 and costs.

189. Dangerous Goods? A Hanoverian master writes to the Gazette, 5th January, 1857: " My vessel of 105 tons register, and about 150 tons burthen, is chartered to load, in the port of London, a cargo of lawful goods and merchandize, as the charterers shall tender alongside for shipment. Having received about three-fourths of my cargo in the docks, I am now directed to proceed to Purfleet, to receive 1,200 casks of powder. There being no clause in my charter which would lead me to believe that I had to load at two different places, and knowing that powder is not allowed to be shipped in the docks, I did not think of using the precaution to exclude it. I, therefore, desire to know whether my charterer can insist upon my taking powder on board under the name of lawful merchandize, and if so, what quantity of this dangerous article you would consider to be in conformity with the custom of the port, for a vessel of my size?" Answer: "Although, by the Customs' Consolidation Act, gunpowder is not unlawful merchandize, unless made so by proclamation, still, by the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854, section 329, no person is entitled to require the master or owner of a ship to carry gunpowder, or any other goods, which, in the judgment of such master or owner, are of a dangerous character; and, presuming that the charter-party was made here, the master has the power, under this act, to refuse to take gunpowder on board."

490. Explosion. The bark Lotty Sleigh, 322 tons, Capt. WEBBER, was in the Mersey, 16th January, 1861, loading for the West Coast of Africa. She had a general cargo including 949 kegs of gunpowder, about 15 lbs. each (11 tons), stowed in the lazaretto under the cabin. At six in the evening the steward was trimming the lamps with petroleum oil which exploded. The fire from the bed curtains and bedding soon filled the cabin, and being fed by the petroleum, prevented all efforts to extinguish it, and the master and crew were compelled to abandon the ship. At half-past seven a huge volume of smoke and water, surrounded by a sheet of flame, shot up to a great height carrying the masts and yards with it, after which all became inky darkness. Fragments of the ship were scattered in all directions, a large number of the gas lights in Liverpool and Birkenhead were suddenly extinguished, and an immense quantity of plate glass was demolished.

Tonnage. 2,000 lbs. go to a ton for freight; in Australia it is freighted by measurement, at double the ordinary rates. A barrel contains 100 lbs., halfbarrel 50, quarter 25; it is also made up in small oak barrels, containing 8, 10, 12, and 20 lbs. A last is 24 barrels, or 2,400 lbs.

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491. GUNS weighing between three and four tons each, and requiring, consequently, much time to receive and discharge them, may be objected to at the time of shipment, as not being cargo which a ship can "conveniently stow or carry," and so noted in a protest. Guns are, however, "lawful merchandize," unless prohibited by order in Council; for stowage see ammunition and iron.

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Length of projectiles, common shell, 9 inches, 8 inches, 7 inches, about 3 diameters. Chilled shot or shell, 9 inches, 8 inches, 7 inches, about 2 diameters. Shrapnell shell, 9 inches, 24·18 inches; 8 inches, 22:38 inches; 7 inches, 17.95 inches. Double shell, 7 inches, about 4 diameters.

For a 7-inch gun the weight of a double shell when loaded is 158 fbs.; bursting charge 12 lbs. 12 oz.; and of a chilled shot for a 7-inch gun is 115 lbs. The twist of rifling of a 9-inch gun is 1 turn in 15 calibres; 8-inch gun 1 turn in 40 calibres; and 7-inch gun 1 turn in 35 calibres.

492. GUTTA PERCHA, a vegetable product obtained from trees in Borneo, Malacca, Singapore, &c.; it is highly inflammable, but impervious to water or damp, and is generally taken with other goods, say 200 tons in a ship of 800 tons burthen. Dunnage with wood, and mat the sides; in a raw state it contains foreign substances, such as wood, bark, &c., which will absorb water, or very little dunnage would be necessary. Gutta percha is stowed in bulk, excepting the small pieces which are in bags; it is liable to be damaged by any sticky goods, such as cutch, gambier, sugar, tar, &c., and will injure tea, rice, and other delicate articles. Specific gravity 0-925. India rubber in a crude state is imported into England chiefly from Para in South America. The first quality is known in the market as Para rubber, second as gutt, and third negro head. It is sometimes stowed in the same hold with nuts which, when heated, exude an oil very injurious to the rubber, as is the case with all fixed oils. Clothing and other articles made of rubber should be stowed in a cool dark part of the ship. In the Southampton docks an extra charge is made for separating such articles as india rubber, cutch, gambier, &c., in an adhesive state. The charge in the London docks is 3s. 6d. per man per day, and the cost of repairing the instruments used.

493. HAIR, from Rio Grande, is sometimes injured by contact with bone ash; see Liverpool letter, article ores, and see hides.

494. HAMS, from Ireland, are usually packed like bladder lard, in casks, on the heads of which the number and weight of contents is generally marked; the cask and packing is not included in the weight; the freight is, therefore, calculated on the net weight; see bacon. In computing the freight of hams at Baltimore, 200 lbs. net weight are considered equal to the freight of a barrel of 5 cubic feet. American hams and shoulders are sometimes packed in hogsheads, 8 cwt. each.

495. HANGING BEDS; pieces of wood set on end between casks in a tier, so as to keep the bilges finger free from each other. The pieces are set against the quarters, with an inclination towards the bilge, so that if there should be any shaking of the casks, they will fall inwards and be secured, rather than outwards and be lost. Sometimes these pieces are quoined above against the quarters, by wedges falling between them and the quarters, and sometimes keyed below by pieces in a line with the casks.

496. HARE SKINS. 3,500 go to a ton. The Baltic rate is the same as for clean hemp per ton.

497. HARTALL, or Orpiment, a Chinese native sulphuret of arsenic. Bombay ton 50 cubic feet in cases.

498. HATCHWAYS AND HATCHES.

See the article mate. In the Second Court, before Justice MELLOR, 6th July, 1865, HIBBS r. Ross. Plaintiff was master of the ship Moulashé; in the previous December she was moored in the Surrey dock outside the Jarnia. Persons wanting to go on board the Moulashé were in the habit of passing over the Jarnia. At 8 p.m., 24th December, plaintiff was going on shore and crossing defendant's ship, when he fell down her hatchway. It was extremely dark, plaintiff was taking the same course as he took by day but he tripped and fell down the hatchway21 feet. He was insensible and knew nothing of what had occurred till late the following day; was confined to his bed on board twentyeight days, and was then removed in a cab to his lodgings. He was still suffering, and had not been able to obtain employment since. There was no mode of getting on shore but by crossing the Jarnia. On the part of the defendant it was urged that there was not such negligence as would render him liable. The Judge, however, thought that for the purposes of the day there was; and the jury awarded £450 to plaintiff.

499. HAY requires a full amount of ballast; dunnage with board in the wings. In a damp hold hay is liable to become overheated, and should be stowed so as to allow a current of air to pass from one hatchway to another. A government officer recommends a large cargo to be divided about half-way up, and a space of about a foot to be kept clear with old spars or other dunnage, laid fore and aft. There should also be a well of about four bales space, kept clear from the upper deck to the bottom of the ship. A vessel laden with hay in a damp state had her decks so much injured that they were obliged to be renewed, although she was but three years old. The ship Marathon, from Bristol, with 700 tons of hay for Constantinople, out 30 days, put into Plymouth, leaky, 16th January, 1856. Her cargo had become so much heated that for many days the crew were driven from the forecastle to the cabin; and the hatches of the forecastle and the hold, the chain boxes, and every aperture communicating with the cargo, had been carefully battened down and covered with tarpaulin, to prevent the fire from bursting into a flame. The ship Oriflamme, Capt. SMITH, left Bombay 31st May, 1865, for Liverpool. On the 22nd June, lat. 16° 15' N., lon. 27° 3′ W., a fire broke out in the hold, which was not extinguished until after twenty-eight hours' exertion. It is supposed to have originated in a cask or crate of goods packed with straw. In

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