serves as a proof that the goods have been delivered to the right person or persons. According to the contract the agent is bound to collect from the receivers of goods the freight and other charges due to the shipowners. The amount of freight is usually stated in the bill of lading. Besides, the agent usually gets direct instructions from the shipping company as to what amounts of money he should

collect in connection with a definite shipment.

The master of the ship may deliver the goods only after he has ascertained that the freight and other charges, if any, have been paid. The fact that the money has been paid must be officially confirmed by the agent. He usually does this by giving the captain either a formal written notice or by arranging with the captain that he will visa each B/L the money under which has been duly collected.

In case of non-payment of freight and of other charges due to the ship the master may exercise a lien upon the goods and the agent renders him every assistance in this connection.

In case of shortage of goods or any claims or disputes on the part of consignees the agent is to arrange immediate checking of the cargo in order to protect the interests of the vessel. If shortage or defects of goods are found on discharging, an appropriate statement of facts should be drawn up. This statement is usually signed by the master, by the agent and sometimes by the custom house officer or a surveyor.

DIALOGUES

1

SECOND MATE. We are ready to start discharging Hold No. 1. We'll begin with the consignment of 2,000 bales of cotton under B/L 3782. The cargo is consigned to Messrs. Dijon & Co., Textile Manufacturers. Who will take delivery of this cargo?

AGENT. We've arranged with the stevedoring company that they'll take delivery of the goods. The boss stevedore will arrange the tally of goods. When the

132

goods are tallied and received he will give you clean receipts. Later on I shall exchange these receipts for a duly signed B/L.

SECOND MATE. Have you collected freight under this B/L? AGENT. Certainly, I have. Here is an official notice to this effect.

SECOND MATE. Good. Let me have that notice. Thank you. Now, next in the same hold is the consignment of 500 cases of electric refrigerators under B/L No. 3784. These refrigerators are consigned to the Lebanese Trading Corporation via your port. To whom shall we deliver this lot?

AGENT. This lot is to be delivered to the local Transport Company who have a legal power of attorney from the Lebanese Trading Corporation. They have already paid the freight'and other charges due under this B/L. I'll bring their representative tomorrow morning and he is to give you clean receipts for the goods received. When discharging has been completed I'll deliver you a duly endorsed and accomplished B/L.

SECOND MATE. I want this representative to make out clean receipts for each draft because this is rather a valuable cargo. Can you arrange that?

AGENT. Of course, I shall arrange that.

2

BOSS STEVEDORE. According to our tallies there are five bales less in this

lot.

SECOND MATE. It's impossible. How many bales were slung for each

draft?

BOSS STEVEDORE. Fifteen bales in each draft. SECOND MATE. And how many drafts did you tally? BOSS STEVEDORE. Let me see. We got ashore 47 drafts. SECOND MATE. Then it makes 705 bales altogether.

BOSS STEVEDORE. That's right, but there must be 710 bales.

SECOND MATE. Wait a moment. I'll investigate that. (after a while). Yes, you were right. The five bales were stowed separately in the 'tween deck of another

133

hold. They will be lowered down directly. Go and see that the marking coincides.

3

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Five bags are short in that lot of rice. SECOND MATE. What is your total amount?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. The total amount is 4237 bags.

SECOND MATE. No, that's not right. I am afraid you made a mistake in calculating the total. Let us check our tallies.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Well, let us check them. Before dinner time our tallies agreed. There was a total of 2010 bags, wasn't there?

SECOND MATE. Yes, that was the right figure.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. So let's check our tallies from the time work was resumed after the dinner break.

SECOND MATE. According to our tallyman's entries, we had 50 drafts of 40 bags each, 6 drafts of 33 each and 1 draft of 32 bags. That makes a total of 2230 bags altogether. What are your eniries?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Ah, here is the discrepancy: we took ashore only 49 drafts of 40 bags and one draft of 37. As to the other figures they agree.

SECOND MATE. Wait a moment. Here is a remark: 3 bags torn and delivered as sweepings.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Oh, now I see. I did not add these 3 bags to my total. That was the whole trouble. Now I see. Thank you.

4

AGENT. The last consignment of gas tube fittings was two cases short. SECOND MATE. What's the number of that B/L?

AGENT. No. 8673 for 300 cases of gas tube fittings. As a matter of fact, we got ashore only 298 cases. Our tallies agree. What's the matter with that B/L?

SECOND MATE. I suppose you didn't pay attention to the remark on the B/L that two cases were in dispute.

134

AGENT. Why, I did, but I thought they meant two extra cases over 300. They ought to have stated: "298 cases plus 2 cases in dispute".

SECOND MATE. Yes, that's what they ought to have done, but they didn't. That was their mistake and, I'm sorry to say, we have overlooked it. Anyhow, we have to draw up a statement of shortage. State that two cases are short-landed.

AGENT. Yes, that's what we have to do.

5

AGENT. I'm sorry, but we cannot give you clean receipts for these steel billets.

SECOND MATE. Why, what's the matter? Have you any claims as to the shortage of these goods?

AGENT, No, we have no claims whatsoever as to the quantity. But we object to the state of the goods. Many billets have become, rusty.

SECOND MATE. But we have nothing to do with this, There is a clause inserted in the B/L: "Weight, quality & condition unknown. Shippers' responsibility". This clause relieves us of any liability.

AGENT. Then we'll give you clean receipts, but we must call in experts and draw up a special statement of facts.

SECOND MATE. That's your legal right. We cannot object to that. But we flatly refuse to bear any responsibility as we have delivered you the goods in the same condition as shipped and, as I have said, the state of goods was stipulated as unknown to us.

6

CAPTAIN. Do you represent Messrs. White & Co.?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Yes, sir. I am Cargo Superintendent of that firm. My name is Peterson. Here is my power of attorney. Did you get my radiogram to heat up the cargo?

CAPTAIN. Yes, we got it in time and by now the mean temperature is about

135

80°F.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Oh, that's very good, indeed. It will greatly expedite discharging. What's your ship's draft?

CAPTAIN. She draws 8.6 metres Aft and 8.3 metres Fore.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Have you prepared notices of readiness? CAPTAIN. Yes, we have. Here they are. Please sign your name and state the

time they are accepted. We are ready to discharge from 5 p.m. hours today. CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. It's eleven now. So the lay hours will count

exactly from 5 p. m. Can you hand me over the shipping documents sent to us by ship's mail?

CAPTAIN. Certainly, here they are. Please sign this receipt.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Oh, what a lot of papers! Well, may we start taking measurements and samples?

CAPTAIN. Yes, of course. I've already arranged everything with our ship's agent, Mr Johnson. He is on deck now. We are only waiting for the inspector from the custom house. He will be here soon.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Have the hatch covers and ullage holes been opened?

CAPTAIN. Yes, everything is made ready to take measurements.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Have you got standard gauging equipment aboard?

CAPTAIN. Yes, we have normal bobs, tapes and thermometers. I think you may now go on deck. I am informed that the customs-house officer has just come and they are waiting for you. Here is a young man who will show you the way.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. All right, thank you. See you later.

7

SECOND MATE. So everybody is present. May we start taking measurements?

CUSTOMS-HOUSE OFFICER. Yes, certainly. Let us waste no time.

136

SECOND MATE. Tank No. 3. Lower your thermometer, please. The reading of our thermometer is 80°F. Ullage, 2'2 34" . No water. The paste is

unchanged.

CUSTOMS-HOUSE OFFICER. Temperature correct. Your thermometer reading agrees with mine. What ullage did you say? 2'2 34" ? Let me see the tape.

Yes, right you are. Let me put the figure down. Have you taken a sample? I think we may now go to the next tank.

SECOND MATE. Tank No. 4. Temperature, 79,5°F. Ullage, 2'712" . Waterbob reading, 3 28" , the total outage measurement is 42'1012" . Sample taken? Any objections? None? Let us go to the next tank.

8

SECOND MATE. So, we have completed taking measurements and samples. I would kindly ask you now, gentlemen, to sign the accounting form. Yes, everybody has to sign his name and position. Thank you. Now, Mr Peterson, we have to make some arrangements about discharging. Would you mind going upstairs, to the captain's cabin? This way, please.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Wait a minute. Let's send these samples for analysis. Have you marked all of them?

SECOND MATE. Yes, I have. I have written on each bottle only the figures signifying the numbers of the tanks. Will that do?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Yes, that'll do. Could you detail a deck-hand to help the lab assistant to take the samples to the laboratory. It's not far from here.

SECOND MATE. Certainly. Must he stay at the laboratory to bring back the results of analyses?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. No, not necessarily. The lab assistant will bring the analyses as soon as they are ready.

137

SECOND MATE. Will that take much time?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. No, it will take less than two hours. SECOND MATE. Well, let's go upstairs now to take the calculations, if you

don't mind. Or, perhaps, you have some other arrangements to make?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. No, I just want to ask you whether you usually detail a duty fireman to secure safety while unloading. I tell you this, because it's required by our Port Regulations.

SECOND MATE. Oh, I see. According to our regulations all the men of the watch must see to safety. However, if that's required by your Regulations we shall detail a special deck-hand to do the job.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Fine. Then that's settled. Now we may go up to the captain's quarters.

9

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. So, Captain, we've taken ullages of all the tanks. The temperature of cargo was measured in almost 50 per cent of the tanks, and samples were taken and sent to the laboratory for analysis. Quite a good job!

CAPTAIN. Not tired, are you? Well, now we may set to computing the volume and the weight of cargo. Here are our ship's ullage tables. The specific gravity of cargo is stated in the certificate of quality which I gave you. Did you thieve the tanks?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Yes, sir, we did. So far everything is within the limits allowed.

10

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Well, sir, we've computed the volume of cargo and compared the result with the figures "after loading". The differences are within the limits allowed, except tank No. 7, starboard side. This tank has a shortage of about 100 tons, which exceeds the limits.

CAPTAIN. Are you sure of your computations?

138

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Positively sure.

CAPTAIN. Well, I must investigate. Then we'll decide what's to be done. CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. All right, sir. Now that we've got the

analyses and there are no great discrepancies, I think we may get ready for discharging.

CAPTAIN. We've got the shore hoses connected and the valves set. We can discharge through two separate lines simultaneously. What pressure shall we keep in the line?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. No higher than six kilogrammes: we cannot afford higher pressure for our hoses.

CAPTAIN. All right. I'll tell the chief engineer right away.

11

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. I've just got word from shore. They say they won't have empty shore tanks available till 4 p. m.

SECOND MATE. Do you mean to say that we have to quit discharging? CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Well, I mean that we'll have to stop

pumping out for a couple of hours. That's why I want to warn you beforehand. SECOND MATE. What time shall we make a break?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Let me see. It's 10 o'clock now. Till 1.30 we may continue discharging, then you, please, give orders to slow down and by 2 o'clock to stop pumping altogether.

SECOND MATE. О. К. We'll do everything as you say. Don't forget only to make an appropriate remark in the time sheet.

12

CAPTAIN. I'm sorry, sir. I'll have to stop discharging forward tanks for a while. We'll have to start pumping out aft tanks.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Why, what's the matter with the forward tanks?

139

CAPTAIN. Well, nothing is the matter. But the ship draws too much aft by now, which is rather dangerous for the rudder and propeller.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Oh, I see. So I have to prepare some shore tanks for a new grade of oil.

CAPTAIN. Yes, that's what I want you to do.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. When are you going to start pumping out aft tanks?

CAPTAIN. I think in an hour's time.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. All right. I shall immediately send word ashore to prepare empty tanks.

13

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. Excuse me, Captain. Soon you'll complete pumping out centre tanks Nos. 7 and 8. I would like to ask you not to drain these tanks and leave about a metre layer of oil below.

CAPTAIN. What do you need that for?

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. You see, after we pump out the bulk of the cargo into shore tanks we'll bring a barge alongside to collect the drains.

CAPTAIN. All right. I'll tell the second mate to see to that. Only keep in mind, we won't take into account any additional samples which you may take from the barge.

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. No, certainly, not. The samples which we had taken jointly with you before discharging will serve as characteristic of the whole lot. If you like I can confirm that by an official letter.

CAPTAIN. Yes, will you kindly do that for the sake of order?

14

CARGO SUPERINTENDENT. As soon as stripping of the tanks is completed, sir, we'll inspect the tanks and make out a certificate of tank inspection.

CAPTAIN. Very well. Do you want any other arrangements to be made?

140