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departure therefrom, the Postmaster-General, or any of his officers ox agents, shall have power to order such delay (not, however, exceeding twenty-four hours) by letter addressed to the master of any such mail-ship, or any person acting as such, and such letter shall be deemed a sufficient authority for such detention, and in any such case such addition shall be made to the period of transit during which such detention shall take place as the company may prove to be equal to the delay caused by such detention. 10. (1.) The company shall be at liberty to convey on any mail route all or any of the mails hereby agreed to be conveyed in one and the same mail-ship, or by branch mail-ships, over any part of the mail routes on any outward or homeward voyage, and the time-table on the mail routes shall be so arranged that the services shall be in correspondence both on the outward and homeward voyages. (2.) Notwithstanding anything in the last preceding subclause, the mails shall be conveyed on mail route No. 2 by one and the same ship in both directions between Colombo and Hong Kong, and such ship shall call at the several ports or places between Colombo and Hong Kong mentioned in the First Schedule hereto in relation to the said route. (3.) Provided nevertheless that the provisions hereinbe. re contained as to the conveyance of mails upon each of the mail routes, and in particular as to the periods of transit, shall not in any case be in anywise altered or affected by or in consequence of the exercise by or on the part of the company of any power contained in this clause, or otherwise by the operation of this clause. Character of Mail-ships and Conditions of Mail-service. 11. livery mail-ship shall be a good substantial and efficient steamship of adequate power and speed, and supplied with first-rate appropriate steam-engines, and shall be in all respects suited to the performance of the services herein agreed to be performed within the respective times herein stipulated, and shall be provided and kept by the company seaworthy and in complete repair and readiness to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General. 12. Every mail-ship shall be always properly and sufficiently equipped in all respects so as to render her constantly efficient for the said services and safe for the conveyance of mails, and shall be manned with legally qualified and competent officers, with appropriate certificates granted pursuant to the Act or Acts in force for the lime being relative to the granting of certificates to officers in the merchant service, and also with competent engineers, and a sufficient crew of able seamen and other men, and with a competent and registered surgeon. 13. Every mail-ship and the equipment, officers, engineers, and crew thereor shall be subject at all times to the inspection of the Postmaster-General, or of such person or persons as he shall at any time or times authorise to make such inspection. 14. (1.) If the Postmaster-General shall at any time consider any mail-ship unfit for service under this agreement, he may require the company to show cause why such mail-ship should not be withdrawn from the service, and, unless the company shall forthwith show cause to the contrary to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General, he may declare such mail-ship to be unfit for service under this agreement, and after such declaration shall have been made the company shall not employ such ship in the performance of this agreement. (2.) In order to determine whether the Postmaster-General shall be justified in declaring any mail-ship unfit for service, or whether the company shall be able to show cause to the contrary, a special examination may be made of the hull and machinery of any such mail-ship by such person or persons as may be appointed for that purpose by the Postmaster-General. 15. (1.) The company shall, at their own cost, and to the satisfaction of the PostmasterGeneral, provide the following accommodation for the mail-service (that is to say): — (a.) They shall provide on each of the mail-ships a separate room or rooms for the convenient and secure deposit of the mails under lock and key. (6.) Until the Postmaster-General gives notice to the contrary, they shall provide between Port Said aud Bombay, on each of the mail-ships employed on mail route No. 1, the following accommodation for the purpose of sorting and making up the mails —namely, on the uppermost deck, a separate and convenient room of such dimensions as the Post-master-General may from time to time reasonably require, and in the fore part of the main-deck such additional space to be well ventilated and lighted as may be required, (c.) Until the Postmaster-General gives notice to the contrary, they shall provide between Penang and Hong Kong, on the uppermost deck of each of the mail-ships employed on mail route No. 2, a separate and convenient room of such dimensions as the Post-master-General may from time to time reasonably require, for the purpose of sorting and making up the mails. (2.) Every such room shall be provided by the company with all such furniture, lamps, fittings, and other conveniences as shall be necessary or convenient for the purpose of sorting and making up the mails, and all such furniture, lamps, fittings, and other conveniences shall be from time to time cleansed and kept in repair, and the oil for the lamps shall be supplied by the servants and at the cost of the company. (3.) The services of the crew of every mail-ship shall from time to time be given in the conveyance of the mails between the mail-room and the sorting room or rooms. 16. (1.) The company shall receive and allow to remain on board each of the mail-ships on her voyage between Port Said and Bombay, and also while stopping at Aden, and whether such mail-ship shall be with or without mails on board, an officer of the Indian Post Office to take charge of and sort and make up the mails.

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