5. And whereas by an act, made and passed in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, _An act for the further support and encouragement of the fisheries carried on in the ~Greenland Seas~ and ~Davis’s Streights~_, it is among other things enacted, That every ship shall have on board apprentices indentured for the space of three years at the least, who shall not exceed the age of eighteen years, nor be under fourteen years of age, at the time they shall be so indentured, in the proportion of one apprentice at the least for every thirty-five tons burthen, and one fresh or green man for every fifty tons burthen, which apprentices and fresh or green men shall be accounted in the number of men required to be on board such ship as aforesaid: And whereas by another act, made and passed in the twenty-sixth year of his present Majesty’s reign, intituled, _An act for the encouragement of the southern whale fishery_, it is among other things enacted, That no premium granted by that act shall be paid or allowed to any person or persons whatever, for or on account of any ship or vessel employed in the aforesaid fishery, unless such ship or vessel shall have on board an apprentice indentured for the space of three years at the least; for every fifty tons burthen of such ship or vessel by admeasurement, every such apprentice not exceeding the age of eighteen years, nor being under fourteen years, at the time he shall be so indentured: And whereas by another act, made and passed in the twenty-eighth year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, _An act for amending an act, made in the twenty-sixth year of his present Majesty’s reign_, for the encouragement of the southern whale fishery, _and for making further provisions for that purpose_, it is, amongst other things, enacted, That the several additional premiums granted by that act shall be paid in such and the like manner, and under such and the like conditions, rules, regulations, and restrictions, as are directed and prescribed in and by the said act, made and passed in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, _An act for the encouragement of the southern whale fishery_: And whereas it is expedient that provision should be made to oblige the masters of ships or vessels, or the persons to whom apprentices shall be bound in pursuance of the acts herein-before respectively recited, to keep such apprentices in their service for the time they shall be indentured: Be it therefore further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That, from and after the first day of _January_ one thousand seven hundred and ninety, if the master of any ship or vessel, or any other person or persons whatever, to whom any apprentice or apprentices shall be indentured pursuant to the said herein-before recited acts, shall permit or suffer any such apprentice or apprentices to quit, leave, or depart, his or their service on any pretence whatever,