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2. Such Plague authorities are hereby empowered to medically inspect
persons coming to Bombay Island by sea, by vessels, including native craft,
which have touched at any port in India between Bhatkal and a line ten
miles north of Karachi, and to detain or send for detention to such hospitals
or other places as may be appointed by the Bombay Plague Committee for
the purpose any persons whom they find or suspect to be suffering from
Plague.
3. The master of every vessel, including buggalows and every kind of
native craft, arriving at the port of Bombay, from or having had communica-
tion with any place on the West Coast of India between Bhatkal and a line
ten miles north of Karachi, on board of which there is or has been during
the voyage from which she is arriving or has last arrived, either among the
passengers or crew, any case or suspicious case of Bubonic Plague, or if one
or more deaths from any cause whatever shall have occurred on board on
the said voya.ge, shall report the same at the earliest possible moment by
signal to the Health Officer of the Port or through the Pilot or Water Police.
4. If the vessel is coming into port, the master shall report such
cases to the Pilot or other boarding officers at the earliest possible oppor-
tunity, or if she be not boarded, or is already at anchor within port limits,
shall hoist a signal, which shall be, during the day the flag R of the Com-
mercial Code at the main, and during the night, at the same place, 3 lights,
namely, red, white and red, and shall also verbally by an officer, or in writing,
inform the officer in charge of the Harbour Police. It shall be the duty of
the Pilot or other officers to whom such report under Rule 1 is made to
communicate the same without delay to the Health Officer of the Port.
5. Pending the arrival of the Health Officer of the Port the master
shall anchor in the stream, and shall not permit the departure or landing of
any of his crow or passengers until permitted to do so by the Health Officer
of the Port.
6. The masters of vessels to which .Rule 3 is applicable, and the masters
of all vessels arriving from the ports or places inside the limits prescribed
in Rule 3, shall only permit the disembarkation of their crews and passengers
between the hours of 6 A.M. and 6 P.M., and at such bandars or places as may
be directed by the Health Officer of the Port.
In accordance with the authority given by the above rules regulations
were drawn up and issued to Port authorities· and shipping companies
describing the procedure to be adopted by commenders of vessels on arrival
at Bombay.
23. Vessels under these rules disembarked their passengers at Modi
Bandar, at the docks' harbour walls, and at anchorages in the open harbour.
The vast majority of arrivals disembarked at the two first mentioned centres, and
some additions to the arrangements already existing there for the outward
inspections, were all that were necessary, and were cheerfully provided by Messrs.
Shepherd and Company. Amongst these was an installation of electric lighting
at Modi Bandar for the inspection of passengers by that company's Dharamtar
boat on occasions when owing to tidal conditions arrival was delayed until after
dark.
Steamers which anchored in the stream were inspected at their usual
anchorages.
For the enormous number of native sailing craft inspection arrangements
were made at the Dutiable and Free anchorages, and at a special anchorage
selected near Tucker's Beacon. Vessels collected near these centres and awaited
the visits of the examining officers, who, after inspection, gave certificates entitling
them to pratique.
24. The following staff was provided by the Plague Committee and placed
under the directions of the Port Health Officer :—
3 Commissioned Medical Officers.
2 Private Practitioners.
5 Assistant Surgeons (Government),