SHIP'S PAPERS. A merchant vessel is required to carry certain documents which are termed the "ship's papers." These consist of: (1) Register. sometimes replaced or accompanied by (a) Certificate of enrollment (if employed in United States coasting trade). (b) Passport is sued by the sovereign authority, (e) Sea letter issued by the local authorities of the port of de parture. (2) Charter party (q.v.) if chartered.
(3) Log-book (q.v.). (4) Bills of lading (q.v.), or duplicate receipts of cargo from the master to shippers. (5) Invoices, or detailed statements of separate lots of goods. (6) Manifest or general statement of cargo. (7) Clearance been a serious pest of wooden ships; for this reason ships have had to be sheathed with cop per. Its mode of boring has not been satisfac (q.v.), or permission from the authorities to sail. (8) Master roll, or list of crew. (0) ;Shipping articles (q.v.). (10) Bill of health (q.v.). (11) Bill of sale (if ship has been sold by citizens of one country to citizens of another) together with consular certificate. (12) Certifi cate of inspection. (13) Officers' licenses. (14) Passenger list (if passengers are carried), (15) License to carry on a particular trade (fishing, carrying oil. etc.). The evidence of nationality of United States vessels is contained in (a) register for foreign trade; (b) certificate of enrollment for coasting vessels; (e) license for enrolled vessels: ((I) license for vessels under •'0 tons; (e) license for fishing vessels; (1) sea letter o• passport issued by a collector of a port to certify to national character and ownership of vessel; (g) consul's certificate for foreign vessel purchased abroad by American citizens.
In foreign countries the evidence is found as fol lows: Austria, in royal license and certificate of registry; Great Britain, certificate of regis try: Brazil, Portugal, and Sweden. passport; Denmark, certificate of nationality and registry; Germany and Norway, certificate of nationality; Russia and Spain, patent authorizing the use of flag. The register, certificate of registry, or equivalent document should contain the following information: Name and character of vessel, name of country to which it belongs, dimensions of vessel (including tonnage. masts, number of decks, etc.). rig, date of building, name of mas ter. name of owner o• owners, date of registry. number (international signal code) , and signa tures and seals of the officials issuing the docu ment.