CHAPTER LI.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHAPLAINS.

1.

A Clergyman, appointed Chaplain of one of Her Majesty's Ships, must consider it to be his indispensable duty that the morality of his conduct, and the propriety and regularity of his manners, be such as become the sacred office to which he is appointed, and such as shall inspire the Ship's Company with reverence and respect towards him.

2.

He is to instruct in the principles of the Christian religion, not only all such young gentlemen as the Captain shall put under his care, but all the boys in the Ship. He is, every Sunday, to hear them read, and is to explain to them the Scriptures and the Church Catechism; and he is to be always ready to give such assistance and instruction, on religious subjects as may be required of him by any Officer or other person in the Ship. But he is not to enforce the teaching of the Church of England Catechism on such of the young gentlemen, or boys, who, being of a different religious persuasion, might object to receive instruction in a creed at variance with their own; neither are they to be obliged to read books to which, on religious grounds, they have an objection; but the Captain will, in every instance, satisfy himself as to the validity of such objections.

3.

He is to be attentive to perform with due solemnity the duties of the Lord's Day, that the Ship's Company may be impressed with devotion: and he is carefully to adapt his discourses to the capacity of his hearers and to the nature of their situation, in order that his instructions may be intelligible and beneficial to all who hear them.

4.

He is to obtain from the Dock-yard where the Ship is fitting out, a set of Communion Plate with the safe custody of which he will be charged. On paying off, he will return the said plate to the Dockyard, or, on being superseded, transfer it to his successor; in either case obtaining a receipt for it, which he is to transmit to the Secretary of the Admiralty, for the Storekeeper-General. (In the event of the Chaplain being discharged, and his successor not having joined, the receipt referred to is to be signed by the Captain.)

5.

He is to see that the Seamen's Schoolmaster is attentive to his duty and diligent in teaching the boys placed under him, as well as the men who may choose to seek instruction from him. He is frequently to examine the boys himself, and at the end of each quarter to report, in writing, to the Captain, the progress made by each of them in secular education; and he is to represent to the Captain from time to time all those whom he shall find idle or irregular in their conduct, that they may be punished as they deserve, - and all those whom he shall find attentive and well-disposed, that they may be rewarded according to their merits.

6.

When any one of Her Majesty's Ships is commissioned, the Chaplain, under the approval of the Captain, is to demand the establishment of books allowed, according to the rate of the Ship, for the instruction of the boys and seamen; and such as may be supplied are to be kept in charge of the Chaplain and Seaman's Schoolmaster for the purpose before mentioned. In Ships of and below the 6th rate, the books for the instruction of the boys, &c., will be supplied with the Seamen's Library.

7.

In all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rates, when commissioned for sea service, and having the full complement of boys, the following sums (if so much be required) are to be paid by the Paymaster, under the authority of the Captain, to the Chaplain, - or, if no Chaplain be borne, to the Naval Instructor, - for the purchase of slates, paper, etc., for the use of the boys' and Seamen's Schoolmaster:-

On being commissioned .... .... ...	£4 0 0
At the end of each subsequent quarter	1 10 0
In all 4th and 5th rates, the allowance is to be as follows:-
On being commissioned .... .... ....	£3 0 0
At the end of each subsequent quarter	1 0 0
In 6th rates, sloops, and smaller vessels, the Captains may authorize an expenditure of-
On being commissioned .... .... ....	£2 0 0
At the end of each subsequent quarter	0 15 0

(The allowances under this head, for the stationary Flag Ships and Guard Ships on the Home Station, are specially provided for in the Admiralty Order, dated February 24, 1857.)

8.

He is to be very assiduous in his daily attendance on the sick; and if any men shall be dangerously ill, he is, although they should not request it, to go to them, after obtaining the sanction of the Surgeon, to prepare them for death, and to comfort or admonish them, as the state of their minds, or other circumstances, may make it desirable. It is very requisite that a Chaplain's visits to the Sick should be frequent, whether there be any serious cases or not, so that they should not be regarded as proofs that some of the patients are, physically, in a dangerous or hopeless state.

9.

He is, on proper and convenient occasions, to consult the Captain when he may desire to give notice of the intended celebration of the Holy Communion, and when a sufficient number of persons to justify its celebration present themselves, opportunities and facilities for its celebration will be afforded by the Captain.

10.

Before he shall be allowed to receive his arrears of pay, he must send to the Secretary of the Admiralty, a certificate, signed by the Captain, that he had not been absent from the Ship more than forty-eight hours at one time, without leave from the Admiralty or the Commander-in-chief; and a certificate also from the Captain, that he had performed Divine Service regularly, and that his conduct had been in every respect becoming the character of a Clergyman; without which latter certificate he shall not be again appointed to any of Her Majesty's Ships.