SECTION I. FITTING-OUT AND REFITTING.

1052. Trials of Fittings.- In compliance with the provisions of Article 500 the Commander-in-Chief will cause the following instructions to be observed in carrying out the trials of the gunnery, torpedo, and electrical fittings of His Majesty's ships.

2. Gunnery Fittings.- The fittings of the gun mountings are to be tested by firing the number of rounds prescribed.

Immediately after the completion of the above trial, a report from the Captain of the gunnery school who carried out the trial is to be forwarded, through the Commander-in-Chief, to the Admiralty.

3. When ships are fitted with electric motors in connection with their gunnery equipment these are to be tried, if possible, previous to, but always separately from, the gun trials, by the Captain of the gunnery school, with whom is to be associated the Captain of the torpedo school and dockyard officers concerned.

4. Subsequent to the firing trials, all gun mountings are to be opened up for combined inspection by the Captain of the gunnery school and dockyard officers, who are to send in a joint report in duplicate to the Commander-in-Chief for the Admiralty of the result of the examination.

One copy of each of the above reports is to be inserted in the Captain's ship's book.

5. Torpedo and Electrical Fittings.- When the torpedo equipment of a ship is completed and a day fixed for the trial, the Admiral Superintendent is to give seven days' notice of it to the Commander-in-Chief and to the Controller. The Commander-in-Chief will give directions to the torpedo school of the port to carry out the trials.

6. The whole of the torpedo fittings are to be thoroughly tested, at least one torpedo being discharged from each discharging apparatus, to show that everything is in working order.

7. A report of this trial is to be sent to the Commander-in-Chief for transmission to the Admiralty, and a duplicate to the Admiral Superintendent.

8. When all the torpedo and electrical fittings and apparatus are in place and complete, notice is to be given to the Controller that the electrical circuits, &c., are ready for balancing. The bell, communication, electric light, gun, motor, fire control, and Whitehead circuits are to be balanced by an officer representing the Director of Naval Ordnance.

The working electrical batteries of all fixed circuits, including gun and night sight batteries, which have not already been charged are to be charged on this occasion under the superintendence of the above-described officer, the Gunner (T) of the dockyard supplying the necessary stores.

9. When the balancing is complete, and defects which have then been discovered, or are discovered during the torpedo trials, have been made good, and it has been ascertained that the electric generating machinery, motors, and all the electrical fittings are in working order, the Controller is to be informed and a date submitted for a final inspection of the torpedo and

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electrical fittings. On this occasion officers representing the Director of Naval Ordnance and the Director of Naval Construction are to inspect the whole of the torpedo and electrical fittings, &c., of the ship and her boats, testing such as are not included in the torpedo trials ordered by clauses 5 to 10. The final electrical trials of contract-built ships are carried out by an officer in the Controller's Department. The dockyard officers who are responsible for the fittings are to be represented at these trials.

10. A report of the result of the inspection and test is to be forwarded, on form D. 499, through the Admiral Superintendent, to the Commander-inChief, and will form the certificate that the torpedo and electrical equipment is in all respects satisfactory.

This certificate is to be accompanied by the result of balancing the circuits, and is to be placed in the ship's book.

11. When a ship has paid off and has been in dockyard hands for a large refit, the trials referred to in clause 9 are to be carried out when the work is completed.

1053. On commissioning a ship, the Captain, besides complying with Articles 523, 524, and 525 of his Instructions, will be guided by the instructions contained in this Chapter.

1054. Painting on the outside.- All fighting ships and vessels (except those employed on the East Indies station, Cape of Good Hope station, and on the Yangtze River, and torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers) are to be painted " all over " a neutral grey colour.

The term " all over " includes every part of the vessel visible from the outside.

2. Ships on Hot Stations.- The hulls of ships and vessels proceeding to or employed on the East Indies and Cape of Good Hope stations and on the Yangtze River, are to be painted white, but their allowance of paint materials will be the same as if painted grey, the black paint being retained in the event of it being necessary to paint them grey at any time. The upper works, boats, davits, masts, funnels, &c., are to be painted a neutral grey colour.

1055. Colours of Pipes and Electric Circuits.- In order that the different pipes and electric circuits, in His Majesty's ships may be easily distinguished, each pipe, circuit, or its casing is to be painted the colour that is shown for it on the authorised diagram. (See No. 5 Enclosure, Guard Book, of Special Memoranda.)

The same colours will be used to show these pipes and circuits on the drawings supplied by the dockyards for the information of the officers of His Majesty's ships.

2. Copies of the diagram will be supplied by the dockyard, and are to be placed in convenient positions on board.

1056. Provision for Berthing and Messing.-When a ship is about to be passed into commission from dockyard or contractors, a return on form D. 326, concurred in by the Captain of Dockyard or Admiral Superintendent of Contract Ships, as the case may be, is to be forwarded to the Commander-in-Chief in duplicate. One copy is to be forwarded by the Commander-in-Chief to the Admiralty and one to the general depot, but at this stage each is to be considered as preliminary, and is to be so marked. When the ship is commissioned, a third copy is to be supplied to the Captain, who is to report, through his Commander-in-Chief, his concurrence with, or dissent from, the numbers mentioned in the return. Should he dissent, the Commander-in-Chief will order a further inquiry and report the result to the Admiralty ; but if the form is concurred in, it is to be forwarded to the Admiralty.

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Provision is to be made in all cases for berthing and messing as many supernumeraries, not exceeding 1.5 per cent., as the space available will allow; notwithstanding that no permanent hammock stowage, bag rack, ditty box, boot or hat rack accommodation is provided for any supernumeraries.

1057. Whitehead Torpedoes, disposal.- The Whitehead torpedoes, if not already embarked, are to be put on board, and the various parts stowed away under the supervision of an officer from the nearest torpedo store.

In ships where tanks are fitted, the pistols are also to be fitted and sealed by a Torpedo Officer.

1058. Trial of Electrical Fittings.- Shortly after commissioning, a trial of all the electrical fittings is to be applied for by the Captain, and made by the officers of the dockyard under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief in the presence of the officers of the ship, in order to ensure that everything is in perfect order, and to permit the officers and men belonging to the ship to see and become familiar with the electric installation worked at its full power, and so to prevent any conflict of opinion subsequently as to the responsibility for mishaps on actual service.

When the final electrical trials are carried out with the nucleus crew on board, the commissioning electrical trials need not be carried out.

1059.-Acquaintance with External Valves.- When fitting out while commissioning the Captain is to make himself acquainted with the positions, dimensions, and uses of the external valves, more especially of those under water, and the Superintendent of the dockyard will, on application, furnish any information on the subject which may be required.

1060. Applications to Superintendent.- He is to make to the Superintendent of the dockyard all applications relating to the ship which require the approval of that officer, and in writing, if necessary ; he is to render every assistance to the Captain of the dockyard whenever that officer may visit the ship under the directions of the Superintendent, to inspect and report on defects, or on any proposed alteration in, or addition to, her fittings.

1061. Marines' Bedding.- Before a requisition is made for the marines to embark, ship's bedding and hammocks are to be provided for them.

1062. When ready to receive Guns.- The Captain is to give notice in writing through the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Officer to the Naval Ordnance Officer on every occasion when the ship is ready to receive or land guns, projectiles, cordite, or other heavy ordnance stores.

1063. Use of Lighters, &c.- He is to take care that lighters or vessels sent to a ship with or for provisions are given every facility for getting alongside, and are cleared or loaded as soon as possible. The masters are not at any time to be diverted from fulfilling the orders of the Department to which they belong.

The Captain is to grant to the master a certificate stating for what time the lighter was kept alongside. Should any delay occur in the prompt clearing or loading of a lighter the Captain is to report the circumstances without delay to the senior officer present, by signal or otherwise, as most convenient. If it should appear impracticable to take on board stores or provisions on the day arranged, the Captain is to give timely notice to the proper Department, to prevent the delay or inconvenience that may occur from loading lighters with articles which are not to be at once transhipped.

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2. Certificates to Private Vessels.-In the event of any private vessel being unavoidably detained beyond the time specified in the contract or agreement, he is to grant the master a certificate stating the time of his detention, and very fully explaining the occasion thereof, so that the public service may not be subjected to any unreasonable or unnecessary charge for demurrage.

3. Stores of other Ships.- The Captain is not to take from any vessel, lighter, or boat either stores, provisions or water which belong to, or are intended for, another ship, unless some extraordinary circumstance shall make it absolutely necessary. In such a case he is immediately to inform the senior officer present, the Department from which the articles diverted were sent, and, if practicable, the Captain of the ship for which they were intended.

1064. Trial of Spare Spars and Gear.- The Captain is to take care that spare spars or ship's fittings are tried before quitting the port, to ascertain whether they require any alteration, and he will also satisfy himself that the boats can carry the guns supplied for them, and are properly fitted for that purpose.

2. Spare Gear left behind.- Before leaving the port he is to ascertain that every article of spare gear on the establishment is on board. If any article be accidentally or with permission left behind, he is to report the same to the Admiralty for the information of the Controller.

1065. Appointment of Ship's Agent.- On commissioning, the Captain is to appoint a ship's agent agreeably to the form given in the Naval Agency and Distribution Act, 1864, and to report his name, as also that of any substituted agent, to the Accountant-General.

SECTION II. DRAWINGS, PLANS, &C.

1066. Return of Weights.- Before leaving port, or when completely equipped, the Captain is to render to the Commander-in-Chief, for the Superintendent, the return, on form S. 565, of the weights of everything on board and other particulars therein called for, including the actual weights, when possible, of the supplies for the use of officers and their messes ; when it is not possible, the weights are to be carefully estimated.

2. The officers of the dockyard will furnish the Captain on his application with any necessary information as to the weights of fittings, stores, &c., supplied to the ship.

1067. Drawing of Bottom Plating.- On commissioning a ship, the Captain will receive from the Superintendent of the dockyard a copy of the expanded drawing to scale of the outside as well as of the inside bottom plating of each side of the ship, showing the joints and butts and the exact thickness of each plate written thereon.

2. If the ship is surveyed or repaired during her commission and the thickness of any of the plates ascertained, such thickness is in each case to be written in words upon the copy with the date, with a view to estimating future deterioration from past records.

3. On paying off, the copy of the drawing, signed by the Engineer Officer and the Carpenter, and approved by the Captain, is to be returned to the dockyard.

4. In addition to the plans and drawings referred to above, he will be furnished with the previous reports of the ship's stowage, trim, and qualities.

1068. Position of Pumps, Cocks, and Valves.- The Captain will receive from the Captain of the dockyard, on commissioning, clear drawings showing

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the position and lead of all pumps, pipes, cocks, and valves connected with the fire service and flooding arrangements, &c., accompanied by full directions for their use, in writing. A complete list of these drawings is given in the Steam Manual.

Whenever a vessel comes out of the hands of the dockyard after building, repair, fitting or refitting, the drawings will be repaired, renewed, or amended, as the case may be, by the dockyard officers, and will be handed by them to the Captain, to be carefully preserved and retained on board for use; and they are to be returned to the dockyard officers on the ship being put out of commission. The officers of the dockyard are required to state in their reports on the examination of ships after trial whether these directions have been complied with.

2. He will also be furnished by the Captain of the dockyard with a plan of the stowage of the ship below. During the commission the Captain is to cause to be noted on this plan such alterations and corrections as may be found necessary.

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