If it were declared that any Offence committed by one of the Crew of a Vessel under the Flag of England should enable the Owners in this Country to deprive that Man of all his Allowances, you think that would be efficient?
- Yes, I think it would.
Do you think you should be able to get sufficient Proof of the Fact?
- We must first get the Proof; but then there would be great Difficulty; our Articles of Agreement for our Ships generally are drawn as strongly as they can be, but still we find them not sufficient to meet the Difficulty; we cannot bring the Charges home.
If the Men have Reason to complain of the Master they can prove their Case?
- It is much more easy for them to obtain Reparation against the Master than it is for the Captain against the Crews.
Should you, individually, be benefited by a stronger Authority being established in New Zealand?
- I feel satisfied that we should, as being concerned in the Whale Fishery.
You feel no Doubt you would be benefited?
- Our Crews would not be so disorderly, and we should not lose them. A Voyage may be materially injured from the Desertion of so many of the Crew. They are sometimes important Men, Boat-steerers, Carpenters, and so on; we can replace some of our Sailors by New Zealanders, but not our Boat-steerers or Carpenters.
Do you, in your Firm, make use of New Zealand Flax?
- We do; we prefer it to Russian Hemp.
Can you get it much cheaper than the Russian Hemp?
- It costs us less than the Russian Hemp does; not per Ton, but because the same Length is lighter; it does not weigh so much per Ton; it is more costly, but we can get for the same Weight an increased Length and an increased Strength.
Are you aware whether the Yacht Club have used any of this Hemp?
- They have.
Do you know whether they are satisfied with it?
- I believe not.
Do you know whether it was prepared properly?
- It was prepared under Captain Harris's Patent. We worked Captain Harris's Patent for some Time. The Vernon Frigate had some manufactured on Captain Harris's Principle; we used it ourselves; we were the first Year extremely favourable to it; the Fibre was extremely soft, and the Cordage softer than Cordage usually is; but we found the whole of the Solution separate from the Flax, and it was condemned. Afterwards we introduced Tar, but the Prejudice was so strong against the Flax, that it is a very difficult Thing to introduce it again to Parties who are so prejudiced against it; but I should particularly impress upon your Lordships, that for Whale Lines it is considerably preferable to any other, and those are most important in our Trade. I prefer it on account of its Strength and its Pliability also.
Is it to be bought manufactured into Cordage?
- Yes, we make it ourselves; but there has not been a Bale imported this last Year.
There might be a great Quantity bought?
- Yes, an unlimited Quantity.
Has there not been a strong Opinion expressed that it might be grown in Parts of Ireland?
- I believe it is growing now in Parts of Ireland.
Do you think it might be improved by Cultivation?
- I do not know that it might be improved by Cultivation; I believe it might be improved by Treatment immediately after it was cut.
