ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

1099. Lighterage for sugar is at 1s. hogshead, three tierces being calculated equal to two, and eight barrels equal to one hogshead. The weight of the hogshead averages between 18 and 26 cwt. (gross); tierces from 10 to 16 cwt.; and barrels from 250 to 300 lbs. Some of the large hogsheads are 47 inches in diameter at the bilge.

1100. Stevedores are employed to stow the sugar; their established charge is 1s. hogshead, and smaller casks in the same. proportion, as before mentioned for lighterage; and they find and pay their own men-sometimes having four gangs of them (six in a gang) in the hold if the sugar is coming alongside quick. The ship's crew have quite sufficient employment in heaving the casks on board from the lighters, and lowering the same into the hold; the ship's long-boat being employed, with three of the crew, bringing off sugar at the same time.

1101. The rule for dunnage is five inches on the floors and nine at the bilge for sugar. Molasses is generally considered to be 5 p cent. better as a cargo than sugar; with the former a vessel will load deep, which is not the case with the latter, unless the vessel is built for the trade and has a great number of barrels-which are not generally to be obtained. Molasses is shipped in puncheons of about 110 gallons, and the average weight of the same is 12 cwt. Seasoned casks are sent on board and then coopered (half of which is charged to the ship) before they are placed in the hold, where they are stowed empty; the casks are then bedded, quoined, and blown before being filled the filling is done by means of a hose filled by starting casks at the hatchways.

1102. Dunnage, wood, and spars are scarce and dear; vessels proceeding to Barbadoes should be well provided with the former. A vessel loading molasses and not having dunnage, staves must be purchased for the same, which are sold at $40 1,000 (1,200 being given as a 1,000); 3,000 would be required to dunnage a cargo. Vessels going to Barbadoes should be provided with two pairs of double screws, four crowbars, two purchase blocks, falls, &c., two derricks, and a winch; their boats should also be provided with masts and sails (the long-boat in particular) for droughing the sugar. Primage sugar, quarter-casks and barrels 4d., hogshead 6d. ; coffee, quarter-cask 4d., barrel 2d.; logwood, 6d. ton; rum, 6d. puncheon; molasses, 6d. puncheon. Landing Tare: under 8 cwt. 14 lbs. cwt.; 8 cwt. and under 12, 1 cwt.; 12 cwt. and under 15, 1 cwt. 1 qr. 12 lbs.; 15 cwt. and under 17, 1 cwt. 2 qrs.; 17 cwt. and upwards, 1 cwt. 3 qrs.

1108. Much of the sugar produced at St. Kitts is sent for ship

It is

ment to Antigua, which is a preferable place for loading. usually brought in droghers (fore and aft schooners) of about 100 tons, which have to go alongside a wharf to exhibit their cargo to the customs' officer, unless it happens that he is on board the loading ship. The island of Barbuda sends most of its produce to Antigua, the anchorage and depth not being good at Barbuda, where British vessels of from 200 to 300 tons only load, while at Antigua vessels of 1,000 tons will find good anchorage. Dunnage is not plentiful in Antigua small mangrove grown on the island is generally used, but it is advantageous to the ship to take her own dunnage with her. At Porto Rico the planting season extends from August to March; the crop is usually over in July.

1104. At Demerara the stevedores' charges are

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Hire of screw for a vessel 353 tons register $15

1105. At St. Jago de Cuba the stevedores' charges are—

[blocks in formation]

8

Cents.

5

5

8

18

tierces
Shipmasters receive a copy of the harbour rules on their arrival.

Labourage, $2 to 2⇓ man day.

COMMISSIONS AT St. JAGO DE CUBA.

For procuring a freight for vessels arriving in ballast
Ditto, with cargo

Collecting of freight

Disbursements of vessels with funds in hand

Ditto, without funds

On invoices

Sales, half generally returned

For guarantee on sales, nett cash

5 cent.

24

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

In accepting freights from Cuba, it should be borne in mind that cargoes of molasses and honey are not so profitable as sugar, for 224 gallons at 10 lbs. are reckoned equal to one ton English, but molasses being heavier, and honey still more so than sugar, it may be safely assumed that the gallon is equal to 12 lbs., which gives for

[ocr errors]

a ton of 2,240 lbs. about 2,700 lbs., leaving thus an over-weight of 400 to 500 lbs. pton, for which no freight is paid, the ton being calculated in gallons as already mentioned.

1106. The Shipping Gazette of 17th October, 1866, says "That on discharging a cargo of Cuba sugar, if a large quantity of drainage, all in good order, is found in the 'tween decks, it is the master's duty to supply labour to scrape it up (supposing the delivery is over side),

and the consignee's place to find packages to put the drainage in: if he does not, the master may supply and charge cost of packages.

1107. In relation to the West Indies generally, it is said to be disadvantageous to the ship to charter for sugar in hogsheads. When freights range high it is the practice with some shippers to pack only two-thirds, or it is said one-half, the proper quantity in each cask, and then to blow the hold up with as few hogsheads as possible. When freights are low the casks are filled chock-a-block, and the hold is stowed closely. Sometimes there are 22 cwt. in a hogshead, at others 11 only. Masters would prefer to be paid freight per hogshead, full or not. At Trinidad and some other islands, the freighter can draw say £4 on every hogshead enumerated in the bill of lading; he therefore seeks in this case to send as many hogsheads on board as possible; it is not necessary that they should be full in order that he may obtain the stipulated amount on each hogshead. Cases and bags of West India sugars are usually full. An owner chartered his ship for West India produce, calculating that she would obtain sugar and molasses, for which the terms were favourable. She was laden with logwood and thereby made an insufficient return; nevertheless logwood is the produce of the West Indies.

1108. Porto Rico. The brig Mary Ann, Capt. J. SIMPSON, of London, loaded here in 1868, sailed 29th April, and arrived at Plymouth 4th June. She registers 22518 tons, is 98 feet long, 24 broad, and 14 deep. Her cargo, 415 hogsheads and 53 barrels, filled the ends, but more could have been placed amidships had there been sufficient" small stowage," which was not plentiful; the dunnage, deal ends, &c., was at least 6 inches thick over all. She drew 12 feet 4 inches aft and 11 feet 8 inches forward; and lightened 5 inches; the out-put was 251 tons net. With a dead-weight cargo, 355 tons Newcastle coal, her draught is 13 feet 2 inches aft, 12 feet 10 inches. forward; best draught at sea 13 feet 2 inches and 12 feet. The season of shipment at Porto Rico is from 1st March to 30th July; the chief months being April, May, and June; the hurricane commences in August, when the premium for insurance is greatly increased. The ordinary loss by drainage is 5 or 6 cent.; but if

the sugars are very fresh it may reach 11 cent. At Porto Rico half a dollar ton is paid for discharging ballast into lighters, the cost of which is heavy. Capt. SIMPSON threw his ballast (70 tons) into the sea between the first loading port, Naguabo, and the second, Arroyo. The port charges were as follows:

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

EXCHANGE @ $4 80c. American dollars equal to £114.

At San Juan, the principal port, the Consul's fee is 1 dollars; at Naguabo, Vice-Consul 24 dollars; at Arroyo 4 dollars; at Aquadilla there is no consular office.

1109. South America. Bahia sugars, Pernambucos, Maceios, &c., are in chests 15 to 23 cwt., cases 8 to 10 cwt., and twilled calico bags 14 cwt. Brazil chest about 10 cwt. Dry vacuum pan sugar shipped at Demerara in hogsheads is liable to be damaged if stowed near Muscovado or other wet sugar. Shippers at Demerara usually send the following notice: "Please receive so many hogsheads of dry sugar," &c.-" Dry sugar must be stowed separate from wet, and under no circumstances can we permit Muscovado or wet sugar to be stowed on dry or vacuum pan sugar. If this be disregarded, the master and owners will be held liable for all loss or damage occasioned thereby."

1110. Surinam. The brig Willem Jacobus, 212 tons Dutch, 185 English, has frequently loaded sugar at Surinam; each cargo contained 340, 360, or 380 hogsheads, according to their sizes; no ballast. So laden she drew 12 feet aft, and 11 forward; with 276 tons of Sunderland steam coal, 12 feet aft, and 11 forward. The brig is 96 feet English long, 23 broad, and 13 deep; four heights of hogsheads could always be easily stowed. The casks which have wooden

hoops are very weak, and the average loss by leakage is about 10 p cent. The dunnage consisted of pieces of wood about three feet long. by six inches thick. The principal season for shipment is during October, November, and December, but when there is a large stock in store, shipments take place all the year round.

1111. At Pernambuco 14 bags of 5 arrobas each, 70 arrobas; 2,240 lbs. go to a ton for freight. The brig Castor, Capt. KLOPPENBURG, 100 commercial lasts Oldenburg, 223 tons register, 98-5 feet long, 24 feet 7 inches broad, 11 feet deep from the under face of the deck beams, took in 4,100 bags of sugar at Pernambuco, in February, 1866, and discharged the same at Plymouth in April following. The bags contained each five arrobas of 32 lbs. Brazilian, or 28 lbs. English; the in-take cargo weighed 293 tons 17 cwt. Freight ton about 14 bags. Gross weight delivered 5,423 cwt. 3 qrs. 11 lbs.; net 5,314 cwt. 0 qr. 3 lbs. With the sugar her draught aft was 12 feet, forward 11, the same as with 285 tons of Cardiff coal, but she was more lively at sea with the coal than with the sugar, which seemed to increase in solidity daily, and caused the brig to roll excessively. With 4,550 bags of Bahia coffee, each of four arrobas, 256 tons, delivered in London, she drew aft 11 feet 9 inches, and forward 11 feet, and was more lively at sea than with the coal. Her hold could contain more than 4,550 bags, but the merchant would not permit more to go in, for the purpose of securing proper ventilation. The Castor was built at Bremen, of oak, and is strongly fastened with stout iron knees, &c. She has an extensive quarter-deck, and a deck-house. The quarter-deck runs forward, beyond the mainmast, being 47 feet long; it rises 3 feet above the main deck, and the master's cabin, which is 24 feet long and 13 feet 2 inches broad, rises 3 feet above the quarter-deck, The deck-house forward for the accommodation of the crew, contains also a cook-house, and a chain room for the cables. Under the fore part of the quarter-deck on each side, there is a water tank containing 12 hogsheads, access to which is obtained by brass screw stoppers fitted into the deck. It will thus be observed that all the ship's furniture and stores are on the main-deck, notwithstanding which she is sufficiently stiff to be able to shift without ballast. The tanks are covered with a composition consisting of tar two-thirds, and rosin one-third, boiled together and put on hot; it is like sealing wax, and preserves the wood. The Castor is provided with a ventilating hatch just under the cabin steps and another under the top-gallant forecastle. She has also on each side of the waist of the ship, four ventilating pipes up through the covering boards, with brass screw taps which can be raised but not

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »