Thus the merchants, having financed the voyage, still had a considerable say in the matter. The steward and cook of every ship had to render a weekly account of the flesh, fish, biscuit, meat, bread, beer, wine, oil and vinegar consumed. If an officer or seaman were found inefficient, he could be put ashore anywhere “within the king’s Majesties realme & dominion.” In order to keep discipline over the crew—many of them the “bad hats” of the port from which the ships had sailed—they were forbidden blasphemy, “ribaldrie, filthy tales or ungodly talke, neither dicing, carding, tabling, nor other divelish games to be frequented, whereby ensueth not onely povertie to the players, but also strife, variance, brauling, fighting, and oftentimes murther.” Every morning and evening, service was to be read in the flagship by “the minister,” and in the other ships by the merchant or some other learned person. “No liquor to be spilt on the balast, nor filthines to be left within boord; the cook room, and all other places to be kept cleane, for the better health of the companie.” The merchants were to look after the “liveries in apparel” given to the mariners, which were not to be worn except by order of the captain. And there was also a “slop-chest,” taken care of by the merchants, from which a seaman could obtain “any necessarie furniture of apparel for his body, and conservation of his health at such reasonable price as the same cost, without any game to be exacted by the marchants.” Nor could the merchants exhibit for sale any of their goods to foreigners without consent of the captains and other officers.