DIALOGUES

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CHIEF STEVEDORE. Well, we've finished with that lot of sugar. What's your tally?

SECOND MATE. Let me see. According to my entries we've got on board 912 bags of sugar. All of them stowed in Hold No. 3.

CHIEF STEVEDORE. Then our tallies don't agree. We had 920 bags in that

lot.

SECOND MATE. I'm afraid you've included in the total some of the bags that were rejected. Let us check separate drafts then. The first 17 drafts were of 50 bags each. Then in the eighteenth draft four bags were badly soiled, one bag torn and two bags rather wet. All these seven bags were rejected. Then in the eighteenth draft one bag burst and started leaking, so we sewed it up and returned ashore. And, finally, in the last draft you sent up оnly 20 bags.

STEVEDORE. Well, I have to investigate that. Maybe you are right and these 8 bags are still under the shed, waiting for their turn. I'll directly send a man to find that out.

SECOND MATE. By the way, in the fifteenth draft, there were 7 secondhand bags. I'll have to make an appropriate remark about that in my mate's receipt.

CHIEF STEVEDORE. Do you keep these 7 bags together with the rest of the lot, or have you stowed them aside?

SECOND MATE. We have stowed them aside in Hold No. 3; you may go and see them for yourself.

CHIEF STEVEDORE. No, I believe you. I'll ring up the office to find out whether they want to substitute new ones for them. As to those 8 bags, you were right. I've just been told that they still have them under the shed to be substituted by new ones. So, directly they are delivered, please, make out the mate's receipt for the whole amount of 920 bags. As to your remark about 7 secondhand bags, I'll arrange that with the owners and let you know the result a little later.

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mistake in that order as our tallies agree with the shore tallymen's. AGENT. You must have made a mistake in calculating the total.

SECOND MATE. No, not I. I've checked the total twice and both times I got the same figure. Besides this total agrees with that of your tallymen.

AGENT. I'll investigate that. Maybe this shortage is covered by the surplus in some other lot.

SECOND MATE. No, I don't think so. We haven't got any surplus so far. AGENT. Well, anyhow, please give me the mate's receipt under this

shipping order for the amount stated and we'll give you a letter of guarantee for the missing quantity.

SECOND MATE. I am sorry, Mr Patterson. We can't do that. We have very strict orders not to receive any letters of guarantee.

AGENT. I must say it is quite customary with other shipping companies. You run no risk. But inasmuch as you have different customs, I don't insist on that. Please make out your receipt for the amount actually received on board, and I'll settle myself the discrepancy with the shippers.

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SECOND MATE. I am sorry, Mr Parkinson, the packing of many bales has been tampered with. We can accept this lot only with an appropriate reservation in the bill of lading.

AGENT. I've warned the shippers to this end beforehand. There is nothing to be done now. Make remarks in your mate's receipt and I'll insert a proper reservation in the bill of lading.

SECOND MATE. Very well, Mr Parkinson. I'll insert in the mate's receipt "Packing damaged on bales Nos. so and so". Now, have you brought the Bs/L for yesterday's lot of spices and other commodities?

AGENT. Yes, I have. Here you are. Check them, initial them and let's go to the master to have them signed.

SECOND MATE. Wait a moment, Mr. Parkinson. I must first verify the

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data with my entries. Will you kindly help me with it to do it more quickly. AGENT. Certainly. I will. Let's begin with B/L No. 3782. SECOND MATE. What shipping order does it pertain to?

AGENT. This B/L covers our two Shipping Orders Nos. 27 and 28. SECOND MATE. Oh, I see, thank you. This B/L is O.K. What's the next

one?

AGENT. The next one is B/L for 2,000 pieces of iron bars.

SECOND MATE. This bill covers Shipping Orders Nos. 34 and 37, doesn't it? AGENT. Yes, exactly so.

SECOND MATE. Then, I'm afraid you must have missed my remark on the mate's receipt: "3 pieces of iron bars in dispute".

AGENT. No, I didn't. I put down that remark on the margin.

SECOND MATE. Oh, excuse me. I've overlooked it. Well, everything is O.K. then. Let's go to the master to have these Bs/L signed. AGENT. Come on.

CAPTAIN. How many copies of the B/L am I to sign, Mr Agent?

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AGENT. For B/L No. 3782 you are to sign four copies; as to the rest, three copies will do.

CAPTAIN. All right, here you are. Please have all the papers; they are duly and properly signed. When will you issue the rest of the bills of lading?

AGENT. What Bs/L do you mean, Captain?

CAPTAIN. Oh, I mean Bs/L for the rails and cotton. We are just completing loading and I think we may put to sea by tomorrow night.

AGENT. Oh, that's what you mean. Well, tomorrow by 3 p. m. I hope I'll bring you the last B/L and the remaining shipping documents.

CAPTAIN. That's very good indeed. How many copies of the cargo manifest are you going to give us?

AGENT. I think three copies will suffice?

CAPTAIN. Oh, no, they won't. I would kindly ask you to give us five copies

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of the manifest and four copies of the stowage plan. You know we had some trouble with these copies last time. The Gibraltar Custom House asked us to present two copies of the cargo manifest and we had to type them ourselves. It took us a lot of time and put us to much inconvenience.

AGENT. Oh, I see. Well, don't bother about that. I'll do as you ask.

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CAPTAIN. Are you the representative of the Oil Company, sir?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. I am Cargo Superintendent of the Kuwait Oil Co., Ltd. Where do you come from?

CAPTAIN. We come from Haiphong.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Have you prepared notices of readiness? CAPTAIN. Yes, we have. Here they are. We are ready to start loading the

cargo from one p.m. today. Will you sign your acceptance and state in its copy the time when the notice is served?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Yes, of course. Oh, never mind about the pen. I always carry a fountain-pen and the stamp about me. Well, we have to settle several points with regard to handling the cargo.

CAPTAIN. Good. Shall we start with examining the tanks and signing the certificate of inspection?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. I suppose we may do it right away. Have you already made connections to the submarine hoses?

CAPTAIN. No, not yet. We are just picking up floating buoys and hoses from the submarine pipeline. Your mooring master is superintending that job. Wait a moment. I'll call for my second mate to show you the tanks.

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CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. I've examined all the tanks; they are dry and clean. Here is the certificate of inspection which I've already signed. Here are some more papers which you are to sign too.

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CAPTAIN. What papers do you mean?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. First of all the declaration that your water ballast intended for discharging here is free of oil or other harmful contamination.

CAPTAIN. That's clear. Let me sign it. What else?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Here is another declaration that all the fire and safety regulations have been complied with.

CAPTAIN. That's also clear. Anything else?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Yes, there are two more papers. One is the declaration to the effect that all the necessary valves are open and that the vessel is in a proper condition to receive cargo. The other one is to the effect that the ship's seacocks are closed except those which are necessary for the normal running of the ship.

CAPTAIN. Very well. Here you are. I've signed everything. Now, how can we arrange for the signals?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. The signals are as follows: six short blasts on your whistle when you are ready to load. One long blast when you want to slow down the loading rate. Two short blasts when you want it at full speed, and three long blasts meaning "stop".

CAPTAIN. That's settled. Besides, we'll station a deck-hand to relay orders by voice to your man at the shore terminal valve.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. That's very good, sir. I'll instruct our men acccrdingly. Will your deck-hands relay commands in English?

CAPTAIN. Yes, they will, but very briefly, like: "start", "slow speed", "full speed", "stand by to slow down" and "step".

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. That'll do, sir.

CAPTAIN. When loading is completed send someone to take at once the measurings and the samples.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Certainly, sir, you needn't worry about that.

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CAPTAIN. What papers do you mean?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. First of all the declaration that your water ballast intended for discharging here is free of oil or other harmful contamination.

CAPTAIN. That's clear. Let me sign it. What else?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Here is another declaration that all the fire and safety regulations have been complied with.

CAPTAIN. That's also clear. Anything else?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Yes, there are two more papers. One is the declaration to the effect that all the necessary valves are open and that the vessel is in a proper condition to receive cargo. The other one is to the effect that the ship's seacocks are closed except those which are necessary for the normal running of the ship.

CAPTAIN. Very well. Here you are. I've signed everything. Now, how can we arrange for the signals?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. The signals are as follows: six short blasts on your whistle when you are ready to load. One long blast when you want to slow down the loading rate. Two short blasts when you want it at full speed, and three long blasts meaning "stop".

CAPTAIN. That's settled. Besides, we'll station a deck-hand to relay orders by voice to your man at the shore terminal valve.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. That's very good, sir. I'll instruct our men acccrdingly. Will your deck-hands relay commands in English?

CAPTAIN. Yes, they will, but very briefly, like: "start", "slow speed", "full speed", "stand by to slow down" and "step".

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. That'll do, sir.

CAPTAIN. When loading is completed send someone to take at once the measurings and the samples.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Certainly, sir, you needn't worry about that.

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