pens to be at war, the vessels belonging to the
subjects or inhabitants of the other ally shall be provided with
sea letters or passports, expressing the name, the property, and
the burthen of the vessel, as also the name of abode of the
master, or commander of the said vessel, to the end that thereby
it may appear that the vessel really and truly belongs to the
subjects or inhabitants of one of the parties; which passports
shall be drawn and distributed, according to the form annexed to
this treaty; each time that the vessel shall return, she should
have such her passport renewed, or at least they ought not to be
of more ancient date than two years, before the vessel has been
returned to her own country.

It has also been agreed that such vessels, being loaded, ought to
be provided not only with the said passports or sea letters, but
also with a general passport, or with particular passports or
manifests, or other publick documents, which are ordinarily given
to vessels outward bound in the ports from whence the vessels
have set sail in the last place, containing a specification of
the cargo, of the place from whence the vessel departed, and of
that of her destination, or, instead of all these, with
certificates from the magistrates or governors of cities, places
and colonies from whence the vessel came, given in the usual
form, to the end that it may be known whether there are any
effects prohibited or contraband, on board the vessels, and
whether they are destined to be carried to an enemy's country or
not; and in case any one judges proper to express in the said
documents the persons to whom the effects on board belong, he may
do it freely, without, however, being bound to do it; and the
omission of such expression cannot and ought not to cause a
confiscation.

ARTICLE XXVI.

If the vessels of the said subjects or inhabitants of either of
the parties, sailing along the coasts or on the high seas, are
met by a vessel of war, or privateer, or other armed vessel (p. 083)
of the other party, the said vessels of war, privateers, or
armed vessels, for avoiding all disorder, shall remain without
the reach of cannon, but may send their boats on board the
merchant vessel, which they shall meet in this manner, upon which
they may n