mong others from the port of London, no convoy
ever sails. It has therefore been held sufficient for a vessel bound
from London to sail with convoy from the _Downs_, and even from
_Spithead_, when there was no convoy appointed from the _Downs_.
Neither does it require the vessel to sail with convoy bound to the
precise place of her destination; but if the vessel sail with the only
convoy appointed for vessels going to her place of destination, it is
sufficient. It sometimes happens that the force first appointed, is to
accompany the ships only for a part of their voyage, and to be
succeeded by another; at other times a small force is detached from
the main body to bring up to a particular point; if a vessel sail
under the protection of a vessel thus appointed or detached, the
warranty is satisfied.

But this warranty requires not only that the vessel shall sail under
the protection of the convoy, but also that she shall continue during
its course under the same protection, unless prevented from so doing
by tempest or other unavoidable accident, in which case, the master
and owners will be excused, if the master does all that is in his
power to keep with the convoy.

The merchantman must, before sailing, obtain or endeavour to obtain,
the sailing orders issued by the convoying squadron. The value of a
convoy appointed by Government arises in a great degree from its
taking the ships under control, as well as under protection; but this
control cannot be exercised except by means of sailing orders.
Otherwise, the master could not learn the rendezvous in case of
dispersion by a storm, or obey signals in case of attack.

The obligation to sail with convoy does not depend merely on special
agreement; but, by act of parliament, a merchant cannot sail without a
convoy, on a _foreign_ voyage, unless previously licensed to do
so.[197]

SECTION IV.

[Sidenote: _Armed Neutralities_.]

It is not improbable the course of events in the present war may make
it not uninteresting to my readers to have some short account of the
origin and meaning of _Armed Neutralities_, especially as the
principles on which they were founded may again be open to discussion.
The right to take enemy's property on board neutral vessels has, in
the present war, been waived by the Queen, in a declaration, dated
Buckingham Palace, March 29th 1854. This is however tempered by a
reservation of the right to search for contraband. Up to the present
t