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the Hawaiian Islands, and between New York and Rio Janeiro, who shall be allowed, out of the appropriation for transportation of the mail, a salary of two thousand dollars a year each.

SEC. 4023. The Postmaster-General may establish, in connection with the mail-steamship service to Japan and China, a general postal agency at Shanghai, in China, or at Yokohama, in Japan, with such branch agencies at any other ports in China and Japan as he shall deem necessary for the prompt and efficient management of the postal service in those countries; and he may pay the postal agents employed thereat a reasonable compensation for their services, in addition to the necessary expenses for rent, furniture, clerk-hire, and incidental expenses.

SEC. 4024: The Postmaster-General may employ as many route-agents as may be necessary for the prompt and safe transportation of the mail, each of whom shall be paid, out of the appropriation for transportation of the mail, a salary at the rate of not less than nine hundred nor more than one thousand two hundred dollars a year each.

SEC. 4025. The Postmaster-General may appoin: clerks for the purpose of assorting and distributing the mail in railway post-offices, each of whom shall be paid, out of the appropriation for transportation of the mail, a salary at the rate of not more than one thousand four hundred dollars a year each to the head clerks, nor more than one thousand two hundred dollars a year each to the other clerks. (Act of June 26, 1884.)

REPEAL OF SECTIONS 3976 AND 4203, REVISED STATUTES.

SEC. 23. That sections thirty-nine hundred and seventy-six and fortytwo hundred and three of the Revised Statutes of the United States, and all other compulsory laws and parts of laws that oblige American vessels to carry the mails to and from the United States arbitrarily, or that prevent the clearance of vessels until they shall have taken mail matter on board, be and the same are hereby repealed, but such repeal shall not take effect until the first day of April eighteen hundred and. eighty-five. (Act of June 26, 1884.)

PART V.

1. NAVIGATION RULES AND VESSELS' LIGHTS.
2. COLLISIONS-REVISED INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS.
3. WRECKS AND LIFE-SAVING STATIONS.

4. STORM AND WEATHER SIGNALS.

5. FIXING A COMMON MERIDIAN.

1.-NAVIGATION RULES AND VESSELS' LIGHTS.

(Revised Statutes, chap. 5.)

SEC. 4233. The following rules for preventing collisions on the water shall be followed in the navigation of vessels of the Navy and of the mercantile marine of the United States :

STEAM AND SAIL VESSELS.

Rule one. Every steam-vessel which is under sail, and not under steam, shall be considered a sail-vessel; and every steam-vessel which is under steam, whether under sail or not, shall be considered a steamvessel.

LIGHTS.

Rule two. The lights mentioned in the following rules, and no others, shall be carried in all weathers, between sunset and sunrise.

Rule three. All ocean-going steamers, and steamers carrying sail, shall, when under way, carry

(A) At the foremast head, a bright white light, of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least five miles, and so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of twenty points of the compass, and so fixed as to throw the light ten points on each side of the vessel, namely, from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side.

(B) On the starboard side, a green light, of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles, and so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of ten points of the compass, and so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the starboard side.

(C) On the port side, a red light, of such a character as to be visible on a dark night, with a clear atmosphere, at a distance of at least two miles, and so constructed as to show a uniform and unbroken light over an are of the horizon of ten points of the compass, and so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on the port side.

The green and red lights shall be fitted with inboard screens, projecting at least three feet forward from the lights, so as to prevent them from being seen across the bow.

Rule four. Steam-vessels, when towing other vessels, shall carry two bright white mast-head lights vertically, in addition to their side lights, so as to distinguish them from other steam-vessels. Each of these masthead lights shall be of the same character and construction as the masthead lights prescribed by Rule three.

Rule five. All steam-vessels, other than ocean-going steamers and steamers carrying sail, shall, when under way, carry on the starboard and port side lights of the same character and construction and in the same position as are prescribed for side-lights by Rule three, except in the case provided in Rule six.

Rule six. River-steamers navigating waters flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, and their tributaries, shall carry the following lights, namely: One red light on the outboard side of the port smoke-pipe, and one green light on the outboard side of the starboard smoke-pipe. Such lights shall show both forward and abeam on their respective sides.

Rule seven. All coasting steam-vessels, and steam-vessels other than ferry-boats and vessels otherwise expressly provided for, navigating the bays, lakes, rivers, or other inland waters of the United States, except those mentioned in Rule six, shall carry the red and green lights, as prescribed for ocean-going steamers; and, in addition thereto, a central range of two white lights; the after-light being carried at an elevation of at least fifteen feet above the light at the head of the vessel. The head light shall be so constructed as to show a good light through twenty points of the compass, namely: from right ahead to two points abaft the beam on either side of the vessel; and the after-light so as to show all around the horizon. The lights for ferry-boats shall be regu lated by such rules as the board of supervising inspectors of steam-vessels shall prescribe.

Rule eight. Sail-vessels, under way or being towed, shall carry the same lights as steam-vessels under way, with the exception of the white mast-head lights, which they shall never carry.

Rule nine. Whenever, as in case of small vessels during bad weather, the green and red lights cannot be fixed, these lights shall be kept on deck, on their respective sides of the vessel, ready for instant exhibition, and shall, on the approach of or to other vessels, be exhibited on their respective sides in sufficient time to prevent collision, in such manner as to make them most visible, and so that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. To make the use of these portable lights more certain and easy, they shall each be painted outside with the color of the light they respectively contain, and shall be provided with suitable screens.

Rule ten. All vessels, whether steam-vessels or sail-vessels, when at anchor in roadsteads or fairways, shall, between sunset and sunrise, exhibit where it can best be seen, but at a height not exceeding twenty feet above the hull, a white light in a globular lantern of eight inches in diameter, and so constructed as to show a clear, uniform, and unbroken

light, visible all around the horizon, and at a distance of at least one mile.

Rule eleven. Sailing pilot-vessels shall not carry the lights required for other sailing-vessels, but shall carry a white light at the mast-head, visible all around the horizon, and shall also exhibit a flare-up light every fifteen minutes.

Rule twelve. Coal-boats, trading-boats, produce-boats, canal-boats, oyster-boats, fishing-boats, rafts, or other water craft, navigating any bav, harbor, or river, by hand-power, horse power, sail, or by the current of the river, or which shall be anchored or moored in or near the channel or fairway of any bay, harbor, or river, shall carry one or more good white lights, which shall be placed in such manner as shall be prescribed by the board of supervising inspectors of steam-vessels.

Rule thirteen. Open boats shall not be required to carry the sidelights required for other vessels, but shall, if they do not carry such lights, carry a lantern having a green slide on one side and a red slide on the other side; and, on the approach of or to other vessels, such lantern shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision, and in such a manner that the green light shall not be seen on the port side, nor the red light on the starboard side. Open boats, when at anchor or stationary, shall exhibit a bright white light. They shall not, however, be prevented from using a flare-up, in addition, if considered expedient.

Rule fourteen. The exhibition of any light on board of a vessel of war of the United States may be suspended whenever, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Navy, the commander-in-chief of a squadron, or the commander of a vessel acting singly, the special character of the service may require it.

FOG SIGNALS.

Rule fifteen. Whenever there is a fog, or thick weather, whether by day or night, fog-signals shall be used, as follows:

(A) Steam-vessels under way shall sound a steam-whistle placed before the funnel, not less than eight feet from the deck, at intervals of not more than one minute.

(B) Sail-vessels under way shall sound a fog-horn at intervals of not more than five minutes.

(C) Steam-vessels and sail-vessels, when not under way, shall sound a bell at intervals of not more than five minutes.

(D) Canal-boats,trading-boats, produce-boats, canal-boats,oyster-boats, fishing-boats, rafts, or other water craft, navigating any bay, harbor, or river, by hand-power, horse-power, sail, or by the current of the river, or anchored or moored in or near the channel or fairway of any bay, harbor, or river, and not in any port, shall sound a fog-horn, or equivalent signal, which shall make a sound equal to a steam-whistle, at intervals of not more than two minutes.

STEERING AND SAILING RULES.

Rule sixteen. If two sail-vessels are meeting end on, or nearly end on, so as to involve risk of collision, the helms of both shall be put to port, so that each may pass on the port side of the other.

Rule seventeen. When two sail-vessels are crossing so as to involve risk of collision, then, if they have the wind on different sides, the vessel with the wind on the port side shall keep out of the way of the ves sel with the wind on the starboard side, except in the case in which the

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