pital; the examining of the masters of his majesty's fhips; the appointing pilots to conduct fhips into and out of the river Thames: d the amercing all fuch as fhall prefume to act as mafters of thips of war, or pilots, without their approbation, in a pecuniary mulct of twenty fhillings; fettling the feveral rates of pilotage, and erecting light-houses and other fea-marks, on the feveral coafts of the kingdom, for the fecurity of navigation, to which light-houfes all fhips pay one halfpenny a ton; granting licences to poor feamen, not free of the city, to row on the river Thames for their fupport, in the intervals of fea-service, or when paft going to fea; the preventing of aliens from ferving on board English fhips, without their licence, upon the penalty of five pounds for each offence; punishing of feamen for defertion or mutiny in the merchants' fervice; and the hearing and determining the complaints of officers and feamen in the fame employ, but fubject to an appeal to the lords of the admiralty, or the judge of the court of admiralty. To this company belongs the ballaft office, for clearing and deepening the Thames, by taking up a fufficient quantity of ballaft, for the supply of all fhips that fail out of the river; in which service fixty barges, with two men each, are conftantly employed, and all ships that take in ballast, pay them one fhilling a ton, for which it is brought to the fhip's fides. In confideration of the increafe of the poor of this fraternity, they are by their charter empowered to purchase in mortmain, lands, tenements, &c. to the amount of 500l. per annum; and alfo to receive charitable benefactions of well-difpofed perfons to the amount of 500l. per annum, clear of reprizes. There are annually relieved by this company about 3000 poor feamen, their widows and orphans, at the expence of 6000%. The ancient hall at Deptford, where their meetings were formerly held, was pulled down about the year 1787, and an elegant building erected for that purpofe, in London near the Tower. The arms of this corporation are, Arg. a crofs G. between four thips of three masts in full fail proper.

TRINITY HOSPITALS. There are two hofpitals at Deptford belonging to the corporation of the Trinity-Houfe. The old one was built in the reign of Henry VIII. It confifted originally of twenty-one apartments; but being pulled down and rebuilt in 1788, the number was increased to twenty-five. This hofpital adjoins to the church-yard. The other, which is in Church-street, was built about the latter end of the 17th century. Sir Richard Browne, in 1672, gave the ground, after the expiration of a short term; and captain William Maples, in 1680, gave 13,000l. towards the building. This hofpital confifts of fifty-fix apartments, forming a fpacious quadrangle; in

the

the centre of which is placed a ftatue of Captain Maples. On the caft fide oppofite the entrance, is a plain building, which ferves both for a chapel and a hall. Here the brethren of the Trinity-houfe meet annually on Trinity-Monday, and afterwards go to Saint Nicholas's church, where they hear divine fervice and a fermon. The penfioners, in both hospitals, consist of decayed pilots and mafters of fhips, or their widows. The fingle men and widows receive about 187. per annum; the married men about 28.

LIGHT HOUSES AND SEA MARKS. Although by charter, the Trinity Houfe poffeffes the controul of these most useful and important establishments, the erection of them, and of beacons for alarming the country on the approach of an enemy, is the undoubted prerogative of the crown. For this purpose the king has the exclufive power, by commiffion, under his great feal, to cause them to be erected in fit and convenient places, as well upon the lands of the fubject, as upon the demefnes of the crown: which power is usually vefted by letters patent in the office of lord high admiral. And by ftatute 8 Eliz. c. 13. the corporation of the Trinity House are impowered to fet up any beacons or fea-marks wherever they shall think them neceffary; and if the owner of the land or any other perfon fhall destroy them, or fhall take down any steeple, tree, or other known feamark, he fhall forfeit 100l. or in cafe of inability to pay it, fhall be ipfo facto outlawed. Of fea-marks it is not neceffary here to treat, fince they are often cafual, and in themselves unimportant, or defigned for other ufes, as protuberances of foil, trees, ruins, churches, and almost every other confpicuous fixed object, that can be imagined. On light-houfes, the munificence of government, and the ingenuity of architects have been inceffantly employed, and fome are confpicuous monuments of skill, conducted to fuccefs by perfeverance. They are placed in all fituations on the coaft where it is fuppofed they can conduce to fafety; and the eftablifhments in them all are framed on a plan combining utility with economy.

PILOTS. A pilot, in ancient times, was an officer permanently established on board every fhip, and who alone on all occafions. managed the helm, having, in fact, the government of the veffel under the mafter; but this claffical fenfe is no longer applicable to practice, as pilots are now only taken on board for temporary fervice, as when the fhip has any dangerous place to pass through, or is fo near the fhore that a more than ordinary skill is requifite to bring her fafe off; but otherwife, fuch of the other mariners as are moft capable of the function, are appointed to do it by turns. By various ftatutes paffed in the

reigns of George I. and George II. perfons are prohibited from acting as pilots in the Thames or Medway, or on feveral parts of the coaft, unless examined by the master and wardens of the fociety of Trinity Houfe, and approved and admitted into the faid fociety, at a court of load manage, by the lord warden of the Cinque Ports, or his deputy, and the faid mafter and wardens, under the penalty for the firft offence of 10l.; for the fecond 201.; and for every other offence 40l.; to be fued for and recovered by any one in the court of admiralty for the Cinque Ports, if the offending pilot live within the jurifdiction of that court, or else by action in any of the courts at Westminster; one moiety to go to the informer, and the other to the master and wardens of the Trinity House, to be diftributed among their fuperannuated pilots, and widows of pilots. And, the mafter, and fuch wardens are appointed to examine into the fkill and ability of any perfon, on his being admitted as a pilot, take an oath, given them by the register of the faid court of load manage, or his deputy, binding themselves impartially to examine the qualifications of the candidate, and to make a true return. The names, ages, and places of abode of pilots are to be yearly affixed in some public place, at the cuftom houses at London, and Dover or Deal, to which all perfons may have recourfe; and for not returning lifts, the mafter and wardens forfeit 10l. But these acts do not prevent the master or mate of any fhip or veffel, or any part owner, refiding at Dover or Deal, or the Ifle of Thanet, from piloting his own ship from any of the faid places up the faid rivers, nor subject any perfon, though not of that fociety, to the penalties before mentioned, who fhall be employed by any mafter to pilot his veffel from the places aforefaid, when none of the Trinity-Houfe pilots fhall, within one hour after the arrival of the hip, be ready to pilot her; and mafters of merchant fhips may chufe their pilots; and for preventing exorbitant demands, fees are eftablished according to her draught of water. The lord warden of the Cinque Ports is alfo empowered to nominate three perfons there, to adjust differences between the master of any ship and others, where fhips by bad weather are forced from their anchors and cables, for faving and bringing them afhore; and any perfon, though he is not a pilot, may affift a fhip in diftrefs. The pilots fo admitted and licenfed, are fubject to the government of the Trinity-Houfe, provided fuch regulations do not make the pilots keep terms or fettle the rates of payment for their fervices; and pilots fhall, within ten days after the receipt of their fees, pay the ancient dues, not exceeding one fhilling in the pound, out of their hire, for the ufe of the poor of the corporation. And if pilots refufe to take the charge of any of his majesty's

fhips, when duly appointed, misbehave themselves in the conduct of any fhips, or other part of their duty, or if they refuse to obey any fummons or orders of the corporation, then the general court, on examination, are required to recal the warrants granted to fuch pilots; and if, after notice, they act as pilots, they fhall be fubject to the penalties inflicted on unlicenfed pilots.

It is to be obferved that there are alfo Trinity-Houfes belonging to Dover, Deal, and the Isle of Thanet, and to Kingston upon Hull, and Newcastle upon Tyne, whofe privileges are exprefsly protected against the operation of thefe ftatutes, as are alfo thofe of the Lord Mayor, commonalty, and citizens of London, and the jurifdiction of the admiralty.

SHIPWRECK. The dreadful calamity against which pilots are appointed as a protection, has been the fubject of many laws calculated to restrain rapacity, and enfure for the wretched fufferers the poffeffion of the refidue of their effects. It has already been mentioned, (Vol. I. page 165,) that the property in wrecks is one of the rights of the crown. It was declared fo by the prerogative ftatute, 17 Edw. II. c. 11. and was so, long before, at the common law. It is worthy obfervation, how greatly the law of wrecks has been altered, and the rigour of it gradually foftened in favour of the diftreffed proprietors. Wreck by the antient common law was where any ship was loft at fea, and the goods or cargo were thrown upon the land; in which cafe thefe goods, fo wrecked, were adjudged to belong to the king; for it was held, that, by the lofs of the fhip, all property was gone out of the original owner; but it was firft ordained by Henry I. that if any perfon escaped alive out of the fhip, it fhould be no wreck, and afterwards Henry II. by his charter, declared, that if on the coafts of either England, Poitou, Oleron, or Gafcony, any fhip fhould be diarefied, and either man or beast should efcape or be found therein alive, the goods fhould remain to the owners, if they claimed them within three months; otherwife they were to be efteemed a wreck, and belong to the king, or other lord of the franchife. This law was again confirmed with improvements by Richard I.; who, in the fecond year of his reign, not only established thefe conceflions, by ordaining, that the owner, if he was fhip wrecked and escaped, fhould enjoy all his effects, free and unmolefted; but alfo that if he perithed, his children, or, in default of them, his brethren and filters should retain the property; and, in default of brother or fifter, then the goods fhould remain to the king. The law, as laid down by Bracton in the reign of Henry II. feems fill to have improved in its equity; for then, if not only a dog (for instance,) escaped by which the owner might be difcovered, but

if any certain mark was fet on the goods by which they might be known again, it was held to be no wreck; a regulation agreeable to reafon; the rational claim of the king being only founded on this, that the true owner cannot be afcertained. Afterwards, in the ftatute of Westminster the first, the time of limitation of claims, given by the charter of Henry II. is extended to a year and a day, according to the ufage of Normandy: and it enacts, that if a man, a dog, or a cat, escape alive, the veffel fhall not be adjudged a wreck. Thefe animals, as in Bracton, are only put for examples, for it is now held, that not only if any live thing efcape, but if proof can be made of the property of any of the goods or lading which come to shore, they fhall not be forfeited as wreck. The ftatute further ordains, that the fheriff of the county fhall be bound to keep the goods a year and a day, (as in France for one year, agreeably to the maritime laws of Oleron, and in Holland for a year and a half,) that if any man can prove a property in them, either in his own right or by right of reprefentation, they fhall be restored to him without delay; but if no fuch property be proved within that time, they then fhall be the king's. If the goods are of a perishable nature, the sheriff may fell them, and the money shall be liable in their ftead. This revenue of wrecks is frequently granted out to lords of manors as a royal franchife: and if any one be thus entitled to wrecks on his own land, and the king's goods are wrecked thereon, the king may claim them at any time, even after the year and day. Wrecks, in their legal acceptation, are at prefent not very frequent; for if any goods come to land, it rarely happens, fince the improvement of commerce, navigation, and correfpondence, that the owner is not able to affert his property within the year and day limited by law. And in order to preferve this property entire for him, and, if poffible, to prevent wrecks at all, our ftatutes have made many very humane regulations, in a spirit quite oppofite to thofe favage laws, which formerly prevailed in all the northern regions of Europe, and a few years ago were ftill faid to fubfift on the coafts of the Baltic Sea, permitting the inhabitants to feize on whatever they could get as lawful prize; or as an author of their own expreffes it, "in naufragorum miferia et calamitate tanquam vultures ad predam currere." the ftatute 27 Edw. III. c. 13, if any fhip be loft on the fhore, and the goods come to land (which cannot, fays the ftatute, be called wreck) they fhall presently be delivered to the merchants, paying only a reasonable reward to thofe that faved and preferved them, which is intitled falvage. Alfo by the common law,if any perfons (other than the fheriff) take any goods so cast on fhore, which are not legal wreck, the owners might have a commiffion to inquire and find them out, and compel them to make reftitution.

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