Second—Show him how to box the compass and, if possible, how to steer. Explain to him the meaning of the commands, "Hard up" and "Hard down the helm," and why he must turn the wheel to port when ordered to starboard the helm, and vice versa. Also show him the marks on the hand leadline. Third—Teach him how to whip a rope; how to make a clinch; how to tie a reef knot; how to make the bends and hitches commonly used on a ship, such as a bowline, clove hitch, sheet bend, anchor bend, rolling hitch, timber hitch, bow line on a bight, cat's paw, blackwall hitch, midshipman's hitch, single carrick bend, sheepshank, etc. Also how to put on a strop and how to shorten a cargo sling. Fourth—Take up splicing and knotting—eye splice, short splice, long splice, crown and wall knot, lanyard knot and manrope knot. Instruct the learner how to worm, parcel and serve a rope; how to put on a seizing; how to pass the head earing on a sail; how to put on a ratline; how to make plain sennit and paunch mats, and explain their uses. Fifth—Give the pupils a thorough drilling in the loosing, setting, taking in, reefing and furling of the sails; in bracing the yards; in catting and fishing the anchors; in pulling boats and handling of oars; in sending the lighter spars down on deck and up again, and such other maneuvers as are generally recognized as necessary to the safe navigation of ships. In fact, these drills might, with great benefit to the learners, alternate daily with the instruction in the other details of seamanship. A willing, healthy young fellow, who has gone through a course of training as outlined above, will, with two or three months of actual seafaring behind him, be well worth his keep and wages as a sailor. The experience he will then be daily gaining will soon fill up the gaps in his nautical education necessarily left by his hurried training ship instruction, till in another year or two he will have developed into a full-fledged able seaman. If he then chooses to take up with "fancy work"—and they usually do—all good and well. But safety first. And safety for a man before the mast lies in knowing how to perform in a shipshape manner the daily, prosaic, everyday routine duties of an able seaman. The laws governing the American Seaman, in which are incorporated the laws known as the "Seamen's Act," follow. They are of interest to every one who is governed by them. Laws are made to provide for the proper regulation of our affairs, and no matter how wordy, the intent is to uphold recognized authority, and be just to all—+sea lawyers take notice+. CHAPTER XXIV U. S. NAVIGATION LAWS GOVERNING MERCHANT SEAMEN Definitions.