Page:The Blight of Insubordination.djvu/56

48 special clause regarding smuggling, and of course the inevitable "And the said crew agree to conduct themselves in an orderly, faithful, honest, and sober manner, and to be at all times diligent in their respective duties, and to be obedient to the lawful commands of the said master or of any person who shall lawfully succeed him, and of their superior officers, etc., etc." When the new crew join the steamer at Bombay they do so under the care of the shipping office broker, who stands sponsor for the men receiving their advance of a month's pay.

If any of the crew who are shipped do not turn up at the time appointed for them to be on board, or at the medical inspection are rejected as medically unfit, the broker always has spare men to fill up the gaps; in fact, lately it has been the custom to ship a few more than the proper number, so as to provide against the weeding out process, and to pay a fee for the accommodation to those not required if there are no rejections. Thus the broker pays the men in cash their advance on joining, and is there on the spot when the vessel leaves, and knows well that they are on board. If the vessel should go to Europe and return to Bombay, the crew are, of course, discharged in the usual way as the voyage is ended; but if the vessel does not return to Bombay but goes trading anywhere within the scope of the articles, and the scope is very wide, the crew remain until the time—twelve months—is expired, and it is specially provided for that in the event of a steamer being under charter, or bound for India or Burma when that occurs, they bind themselves if required to complete the voyage to such destination. Thus with these crews there is not a change of men at the end of each passage. They make, except in the case of a direct return to Bombay, two, three or four complete voyages; they are on board in port in India, in the United Kingdom or the Continent, and stick steadily to their work, and are always there when wanted at times out of the ordinary hours of working, such as shifting about the quays, dry-docking or changing docks. They do it willingly, too, well understanding that shipwork cannot always be regulated in the same manner as the hours of labour in a shop on shore. They are quite ready when required to shift into another steamer, going over as a whole crew, and are thus more completely the servants of the shipowner while under engagement than any other group of men doing similar work that shipowners have ever had to do the work for them. At sea, the ordinary watch and watch system does not obtain among Lascars, but that which is known to Europeans as the Calassie watch, i.e., "all hands at all times." They work all day, and sleep o' nights like other men, except those, of course,