Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 2).djvu/489

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Abuse of privileges. convenience, not exceeding thirty tons in each vessel, provided such goods were stowed in places not allotted to the Company's cargo, or had not been tendered to them by the Company's agents in India or China, or in the event of the ship not bringing home her expected quantity of goods, provided they produced satisfactory proof to the Committee of Private Trade that such deficiency was not occasioned by any default or neglect on their part. The importation of dunnage[1] appears also to have been a perquisite or privilege allowed to the commanders and officers; but this seems to have been abused, as no doubt many other privileges were, for we find that the Court resolved, "that as large quantities of rattans, shanghees, canes, bamboos, sapan, or other articles have been brought home in the Company's ships, under the denomination of dunnage, far beyond what is necessary for the protection of the cargo and stores, occupying tonnage to the exclusion of goods, or cumbering the ship, the Court have resolved that unless what is brought home of those articles appears absolutely and bonâ fide necessary for and used as dunnage, any exceedings of such requisite quantity shall be charged against the tonnage of the commanders and officers."[2]

Direct remuneration of commanders. When we take these various privileges and perquisites into consideration, the direct remuneration to the commander of one of the Company's ships, inclusive of his monthly pay must have averaged from

  1. "Dunnage" is loose wood, horns, rattan, coir, etc., stowed among casks to prevent their moving, or under dry cargo to prevent the bilge water getting to it and spoiling it.
  2. Hardy, p. 80.