1044. Duties of Convoying Officer.- When an officer is ordered to afford convoy and protection to merchant vessels, he is to arrange with the masters of the several vessels such signals as shall enable him to regulate their movements and to learn their wants ; he is also to furnish each, on a separate paper, with such secret instructions and signals as he may deem necessary, adding a written charge to each master that he is on no account to communicate the contents to any person, but to keep the paper in his own possession until the end of the voyage, and then, or in the event of his being captured, to destroy it.

2. Information to Admiralty.- Before he finally sails from the United Kingdom, he will transmit a complete list of his convoy to the Admiralty; and on his arrival in port with any convoy from abroad, he is also to send to the Admiralty a list in which he is to specify the vessels that arrive with him, and the time and supposed cause of separation of those that do not arrive.

3. Fees, Rewards, &e., from Convoy.- He is enjoined not to suffer any person in the ship or ships under his orders to receive, on any pretence whatsoever, any fee, reward, or gratuity from any owner or master of any ship or vessel, or from any person on board, for the protection afforded them.

4. Defence of Convoy.- He is to consider the protecting of the convoy as his most particular duty, in the execution of which he is to be very watchful to prevent its being surprised ; he is to defend it if attacked ; and he is to be most careful not to part company from it.

5. Keeping company.- He is to keep the merchant ships well collected, and while he will endeavour to proceed with all possible expedition, he will be careful not to proceed at a greater speed than will admit of the slowest ships keeping company with him without risk of straining the ships, or doing injury to their machinery or boilers ; and if any of them shall be in distress, either from badness of weather or other cause, he is to afford them every necessary assistance, which can be rendered without unduly delaying the whole convoy; but if he shall find such distress to be the consequence of the vessel not having been properly fitted or stored for the voyage she was intended to make, he is to report the particulars to the Admiralty.

1045. Disobedience by Convoy.- If the master of any merchant ship or other vessel, under convoy, shall disobey the directions given him for his conduct, or by inattention to signals, or by neglecting to keep up a sufficiency of steam, or by any other means, shall retard the progress of the fleet or convoying ships, or shall behave himself disrespectfully to any officer of His Majesty's ships, the Officer Commanding the convoy is to send by the first opportunity a particular account of the same to the Admiralty, specifying the name of the ship and master, and the name and residence of the owner.

1046. Separation from Convoy.- If any vessel under convoy shall separate from the fleet without having express permission to do so, the Officer Commanding the convoy is to send by the first opportunity to the Admiralty the name of the vessel and of her master and owner, with the residence of the latter, and also a particular and circumstantial account of the manner, or supposed manner, of her leaving the fleet, and the time of her quitting it, as nearly as can be ascertained, with any other observations with regard to the occurrence he may

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be able to offer, so that, if she be afterwards captured, the underwriters may be enabled to judge whether they ought to pay her insurance.

1047. Lights to be carried.- The Officer Commanding a convoy may carry one or more lights during the night, as from circumstances he shall think proper ; or he may direct any other ship or ships to do so ; he will take care, however, that they are not so carried or displayed as to be liable to be mistaken for any established signals.

1048. Convoys in Company.- When convoys bound to different ports sail at the same time, or when they meet at sea, they are, for the better protection of the whole, to keep company together so long as their respective courses shall allow; while they continue together the ships-of-war are to carry the appointed signal distinguishing the convoys they belong to; and the merchant vessels of one convoy axe to be kept from mixing with those of another, to prevent as much as possible all mistakes and confusion when the convoys separate.

1049. Senior Officer to Command.- While two or more convoys continue together, the Senior Officer is to command the whole.

1050. Protection to Vessels of Allies.- All officers having the command of convoys are to take under their protection the vessels of His Majesty's allies which shall be ready to sail, and the masters of which shall request it; and they are to protect such vessels as effectually, to all intents and purposes, as those of His Majesty's subjects. Put His Majesty's ships are not to take under their protection the vessels of any Power which is at war with any other Power with which His Majesty is not at war, nor the vessels of a neutral Power, unless ordered to do so, or some very particular circumstances shall occur to render it necessary, of which they are to send the earliest possible information to the Admiralty.

1051. Protection to Merchant Vessels Abroad.- When the Captain of one of His Majesty's ships is about to sail from any port not in the United Kingdom during war or when war may be expected, if the nature of his orders admit of it, he is to give timely information to merchant vessels, and to take under his protection all those bound the same way, who shall be desirous and ready to accompany him, bearing in mind the directions contained in the preceding Article. Similarly he is to take under his protection such vessels as he may meet with on his passage, if they desire to accompany him, and to see them in safety so far as his course and theirs shall be the same.

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