6. The master of the shore cannot be said to have a right to appropriate to his own use the wreck of any foreign vessel cast away on his coast, nor the goods. fee. that, in a moment of danger. It ve been thrown over board. Tins pretended strand-right, contrary most cer tainly to the laws of nature as well as those of humanity, was formerly exercised pretty generally in Europe. It has been restrained from time to time, particularly since the thirteenth century. by privileges, law-, and a number of treaties ; so, that it may now' he considered as generally abolished in tour quarter of the globe If there still remain some relics of it in a few places, i is against such places only that it is made use of by way of ret•lizoion.
7. The rights exercised on the sea, near the coast, arc exercised also in those straits which are not wider than two cannon shots. It is for this reason that the king of Denmark, by posse,sing the property and dominion of the oat igable part of the Sound, claims there, not only the maritime honours due to him as sovereign, but certain tolls or rates for the liberty of passing. This payment is now fixed by his treaties with other nations.
8. With regard to the extent of the rights exercised on the seas adjacent to the landed territory of particular states : First, The Turkish Emperor exercises his right of proprietor and sovereign of the Black Sea, in such a matinee as not to pern,it even the entry or navigation of it to any nation whatever. unless he has granted it by treaty.
Second, Denmark, wishing to extena her empire and rights, as proprietor over the seas adjacent to Iceland and Greenland, to the space of four miles from Iceland, and fifteen miles front Gleenland, claims a right of excluding foreigners from fishing, and even navigating, in th,,t space. But this is disputed by many nations, and par ticularly by the United Provinces, in what concerns the right of fishing.
Third, Great Britain, claiming the property and empire of certain parts of the four seas that surround her, em pire over more distant parts, and maritime honours on all the seas, has very often had contestations with foreign nations, who on their part, except bound by treaties, have never yielded her any more than what belongs to every master of the shore.
Fourth, The republic of Venice claims empire, and particularly maritime honours, on the Adriatic ; but the neighbouring states dispute them with her, and recently she has not been in a situation to maintain this pretend ed right. An annual ceremony is of little use towards it.
Fifth, Genoa has no longer a naval force respectable enough to claim, with effect, the maritime honours which she pretends to be entitl d to on the Ligustic Sea.
Sixth, After many disputes with respect to the em pire of the Baltic, and particularly with respect to the honours of the flag, some of the states situated on its slim es have agreed to yield those honours in certain dis tricts, and to omit them reciprocally in others.
9. The maritime honours, about which there have been so many disputes, and which have often led to violent acts, and even to war, consist ; first, In saluting with cannon ; and on this point, it is to be determined who shall salute first, at what distance the salute shall be given, with how many guns, and if the salute shall be re turned gun for gun ; second, In saluting with the fag, or with the pendant ; and here it is to be fixed whether it shall be furled up, lowered, or hauled quite down ; third, In saluting with the sails, by lowering or hauling down the fore-top-sail. This last way of saluting is usu ally made use of by merchantmen, but vessels of war some use it also.
10. Merchant ships. even when they are armed, are obliged to salute all vessels of war, fortresses, andiposts, as well with their cannon as with their merchant flag and their sails.