CONTRACTS  WITTI  SEAMEN.  295

seaman's  discharge,  whichever  happens  first.  An
account  of  the  wages,  witli  all  deductions  specified,
must  be  delivered  to  the  seaman,  or  to  the  super-
intendent (7;).  If  the  sailor  desii-es  it,  a  portion  of
liis  pay,  not  exceeding  one  half,  may  be  given  to  his
wife  or  children  or  to  certain  other  relations,  by  means
of  allotment  notes  ;  and  any  stipulation  to  that  effect
must  be  inserted  in  the  agreement  {q).  The  wife
takes  the  amount  subject  to  her  conducting  herself  in
a  proper  manner,  and  she  must  not  have  deserted  her
children  {>•).
The  wages,  or  part  of  them,  may  be  forfeited  on
the  following  grounds  :  (1)  desertion  (.s)  ;  the  rules
and  penalties  relating  to  this  offence  being  ^'ery
severe ;  (2)  neglecting  without  reasonable  cause  to
join  the  ship,  or  absence  mthin  tAventy-fom'  hours  of
sailing  from  any  port  {t)  ;  ('3)  quitting  the  ship  after
her  arrival  in  port,  before  she  is  in  a  place  of  secu-
rity (;i()  ;  (4)  wilful  disobedience  (v)  ;  (5)  wilful
neglect  (?r)  ;  (6)  embezzlement,  or  doing  wilful
damage  (x)  ;  (7)  smuggling,  involving  loss  to  the
owner  {>/).  In  the  case  of  desertion,  he  may  have  to
forfeit  all  his  wages,  in  other  cases  a  certain  amount
only,  varjdng  with  the  circumstances.
Duties. — The  duties  of  a  seaman  are  to  join  his
vessel  and  to  do  his  proper  work  upon  it  until  the
termination  of  his  agreement,  and  he  must  obey  his
superior  officers,  though  the  command  be  given  in  a

(p)  Sect.  171.  {!')  Sect.  243  (3).
{q)  Sect.  168.  (r)  Sect.  243  (4).
(r)  Sect.  169.  (>c)  Sect.  243  (5).
(s)  Sect.  243  (1).  (r)  Sect.  243  (8).
{t)  Sect.  243  (2).  (y)  Sect.  243  (9).
