DUTIES CONNECTED WITH THE ROYAL NAVY.

Advice to be given.

Consular officers should render every possible assistance to her Majesty's ships visiting the port or neighbourhood of their residence, and should attend to any requisitions of the commanders of such ships, and furnish them with whatever intelligence it may be of importance to her Majesty's service that they should be informed of.

Consul to certify to Paymasters' Bills.

On all bills drawn by the paymaster on the Accountant-General of the Navy, the rate of exchange, premium, or discount is to be distinctly inserted and certified to by the consular officer.

Filotage, Harbour Dues, etc., to be settled by
Consular Officers.

As a general rule, and particularly at places where there are no fixed and well-defined rates and regulations, the paymasters of her Majesty's ships are required to leave all claims for pilotage, harbour, or tonnage dues to be settled by the consular officer (on the certificate given by the commanding officer), who, on making these payments, will certify to the correctness of the rates, and their accordance with the regulations or practice of the place.

Changes in Rates of Pilotage to be notified.

Should any changes take place in the rates of pilotage heretofore existing at the ports where consular officers are stationed, they should transmit copies of the altered tables or regulations to the Accountant-General of the Navy, Admiralty, London, as well as to the Secretary of State.

Repayment of Disbursements.

In repayment of all necessary disbursements made by consular officers on account of the royal navy, they will draw bills, at three days after sight, on the Accountant-General of the Navy, adding to the amount of their disbursements the usual commission of 2 per cent. Letters of advice, enclosing accounts and vouchers, should be sent to the Accountant-General at the time the bills are drawn.

Seamen or Marines left behind.

If a seaman or marine belonging to any of her Majesty's ships should accidentally be left behind, consular officers should take steps for forwarding him to any of her Majesty's ships, or to the nearest naval station, sending to the commanding officer a statement of any expenses incurred, and drawn for as directed in the preceding paragraph, in order that they may, if necessary, be charged against the man's

wages. The same course is to be followed in the case of deserters or stragglers, who may be recovered after their ships have sailed.

Lights, Beacons, Buoys, etc.

The consul will forward to the Secretary, Admiralty, London, original notices of new lights, beacons, or buoys; and of all alterations in existing lights, beacons, or buoys; and of all rocks, shoals, and other impediments to navigation, discovered in or near the limits of his consulate, or in or on the neighbouring seas or coasts; and of other matters affecting navigation.

The notice should be forwarded in its original language, accompanied by an exact and careful

translation.

66

Particular attention should be paid to the spelling and writing of proper names, and all numbers should not only be expressed in figures, but should also be written in words; e.g. “ 45° (forty-five degrees)." It is essential that all notices of this description should be sent to the Admiralty with the least possible delay.

The Foregoing applicable to all Consular Officers.

The foregoing duties connected with the royal navy are applicable to consular officers of all ranks.

Official Visits.

The following are the rules in force with reference to the interchange of visits of courtesy between naval and consular officers :

"On the arrival of a squadron or of one of her Majesty's ships of war at a foreign port, the first visit will be made by the naval or consular officer who may be subordinate in relative rank, according to the following scale :

"The senior naval officer present will arrange, when necessary, to provide a suitable boat to enable the consular officer to pay any official visits afloat, and to re-land him, on the consular officer notifying his wish that a boat should be provided for the purpose."

QUARANTINE, AND CONTAGIOUS OR INFECTIOUS
DISEASES.

Whatever measures of quarantine may be adopted

within the district of any consular officer should be

immediately made known by him to the Secretary of State, and to any British naval, military, or colonial authority who may be within reach; and he should equally report the appearance of any fever or disease having a contagious or infectious character, or whether affecting human or animal life.

Bills of Health.

When applied to for a bill of health, the consul must insert in that document a statement as to whether the place and its neighbourhood is free from, suspected of, or infected with any contagious or infectious disease. (For forms of bills of health, see Appendix.)

SLAVE-TRADE.

Although this traffic has of late years much decreased, there are still places where it is carried on in defiance of local law. Consuls should watch all undertakings which may be suspected of being concerned with the slave-trade; and whenever any act is done, or is supposed to be contemplated, which would be contrary to treaty, they should forthwith report the same to the Secretary of State, to the commander of the nearest ship of war, and to the local authorities.