There were plenty of opportunities for disgruntled mariners to forsake the ship at the ports of call. In order to check this, the man who deserted his ship was liable to forfeit double his wages received or due. The usual custom was to engage the hands from the 1st of March to the last day of November, and they received their pay on the 1st of March, the 1st of June and the 1st of September. This did not mean that the vessel necessarily put to sea at the beginning of March, but in order to be sure of his men the _naukleros_ hired them before they were actually required. Having once been engaged, the mariners were forbidden by statute to leave the city, but at Pisa, when the ship was about to sail, a crier was sent round collecting the men. It was not part of their duty to load or unload the cargo: that was done by the stevedores, but it did fall to them to ballast the ship. Each mariner, on being engaged, took an oath that he would carry out his duties, and he had to obey the master. The only occasions on which he could justifiably quit his ship were if he were made captain of another ship, or if he had made a vow to go on a pilgrimage to St. James or the Holy Sepulchre or Rome. On the other hand, he could be dismissed for theft, quarrelling, repeated disobedience, blasphemy or debauchery. At Pisa, if a mariner made a disturbance on board, the captain and other officials could put him into irons, and if he resisted they could strike him even to the drawing of blood. No merchant of the twentieth century sending his goods across the seas would have need to inquire into the inventory or seaworthiness of the ship. Such things are taken for granted; but even in the carefully regulated conditions of these old Mediterranean ships, it was customary for merchants before putting their goods aboard to see that the vessel was well furnished with sails, yards, anchors and arms, for she should carry spare yards and sails of canvas (doubtless for hard weather), as well as other gear. The merchants were also to ascertain that the ship was water-tight, and the skipper was to fill up the seams with tow. The Venetian statutes prescribed that a ship should have so many anchors and ropes of a certain length and thickness. And thus, at last, with anything from sixteen to forty mariners—according to her size—with her merchants, their servants, men-at-arms and pilgrims and cooks, the trading vessel was allowed to go forth.