Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98. 313

    nation thereof made in one of the Courts of Admiralty in Eng- Lib. H. D.

    land Ireland or the said Colonies or Plantations to be Navi

    gated by the Master and 3 fourths of the Marriners English

    or of the said Plantations as aforesaid and whereof the prop

    erty doth belong to English men with an exception for 3 years

    to such foreigne Ships as shall be imployed by the Comissrs

    of the Navy for the time being on upon contract with them in

    bringing only Masts Timber and other Navall stores for his

    Majtes Service from the said Colonies or Plantacons to this

    Kingdom to be Navigated as aforesaid, & whereof the prop

    erty does belong to Englishmen on the pain of forfieting the

    Ship and goods. And whereas by another clause in the said

    act for the more effectuall preventing of frauds which may be

    used by coulouring forreigne Shipps under English names

    ‘Tis further Enacted that from and after the 25th March 1698

    No Ship or Vessell whatsoever shall be deemed or pass as a

    Ship of the built of England, Ireland, Wales, Berwick, Guern

    sey, Jersey or any of the Plantations in America so as to be

    qualified as to trade to from or in any of the said Plantations

    untill the Person or Persons clayrning property in such Ships

    or Vessells shall Register the same in manner thereby ap

    pointed. You shall take care & give in charge, that these

    matters and things be duly observed within his Mates said

    Province of Maryland according to the true intent and mean-

    fling of the said acts & the offences and offenders prossecuted

    according to the directions thereof And where it is required

    that the Master & 3 fourths of the Marriners be English.

    You are to understand, That the true intent & meaning

    thereof is that they shall be such during the whole Voyage

    unless in case of Sicknes death or being taken Prisoners in

    the Voyage to be proved by the Oath of the Master or other

    Cheif Officer of the Ship, and none but his Majtes Subjects

    of England Ireland or the Plantations are to be accounted

    English.

      Fourthly. Whereas by the said Act of Navigacon ‘Tis further

    Enacted that for every Ship or Vessell wch shall set Saile out

    of or from England, Ireland, Wales or Berwick upon Tweed

    for any English Plantation in America Asia or Aifrica Suffi

    cient bond shall be given with one surety to the Chief Officers

    of the Customs of such Port or place from whence the sd Ship

    shall set saile to the vallue of 1000 lb if the Ship be of less bun-

    then then 100 Tuns, and of the Sum of 2000 lb if the Ship shall

    be of greater burthen, That in case the said Ship or Vessell

    shall load any of the comodities therein Enumerated Vizt Sugar,

    Tobacco, Cotton, Wooll, Indico, Ginger, Fustick, or other

    dying wood of the growth production or manufacture of any

    English Plantation in America Affrica or Asia at any of the

    said English Plantations, That the same Comodities shall be