Regulations for the government of the United States Navy (1865)

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Section 11.

Boatswain and Gunner.

478 They must, with the Yeoman, carefully examine all the articles belonging to, and all stores received for, their respective departments, and see that they are of good quality, that they agree in quantity with the invoice or bill sent with them, and that they are in good order, and must make immediate report to the Executive Officer of any defect or deficiency which they may discover.

479 They are responsible for all articles of their departments not in the immediate charge of the Yeoman, and particularly for the careful preservation of all tools or implements issued by the Yeoman for the use of their departments. They will retain for survey all of these that may become worn out, or otherwise rendered unfit for further use, as their responsibility with regard to them will not cease until they have been formally disposed of by survey.

480 They shall request a survey upon all stores which may be injured, or become unfit for service, in their respective departments, and such as the surveying officers condemn shall be expended, preserving a copy of the survey as a voucher; but if the survey shall direct articles to be converted to some other use, they shall be charged accordingly, and expended in the same manner as any other stores.

481 They shall be particularly watchful, and make immediate report to the Executive Officer of any neglect or misconduct which they may discover in the Yeoman, or person having charge of their stores.

482 When a ship is about to be dismantled, they are to be careful that all the articles belonging to their respective departments are properly secured and tallied, with their name and quantity, whether "serviceable," "requiring repairs," or "unserviceable," and that all precautions are taken to prevent their being in any manner injured. They will only receive credit according to the receipt given for them by the Navy Storekeeper, or other person into whose charge they may be delivered, or according to the report of the surveying officers, duly appointed, and they will attend the survey which may be made, to ascertain the quantity of stores so returned by them, and will be called upon to account for any deficiency that may be found to exist.

483 They are to report daily, at morning quarters and at 8 p.m., to the Executive Officer, the state of all things in their respective departments.

484 The Boatswain is to be generally upon deck in the day, and at all times both by day and night when any duty shall require all hands to be employed. He is, with his mates, to see that the men go quickly upon deck when called, and that when there they perform their duty with alacrity.

485 He is, every day, before 7 a. m., and as much oftener as may be desirable, according to the service the ship is employed on, to examine the state of the rigging, to ascertain whether any part be chafed, or likely to give way, and to report to the Officer of the Deck the state in which he finds it. He is, at all times, to be careful that the anchors, booms and boats be properly secured ; and he is to be very attentive to have ready a sufficient number of mats, plats, nippers, points, and gaskets, that no delay or inconvenience may be experienced when they are wanted.

486 He shall be particularly careful that the masts of the ship are not crippled or strained in setting up the stays and rigging, and that the masts retain the same angle with the keel after the stays and rigging are set up that they did when they were only wedged.

487 He is to be very attentive when working up junk that every part of it is convented to such purposes as may be ordered.

488 When the ship is preparing for battle, he is to be very particular in seeing that everything necessary for repairing the rigging is in its proper place, that the men stationed to that service may know where to find immediately whatever may be wanted.

489 Besides the duties assigned to the Gunner in the "Ordnance Instructions," he is to have charge of the anchor-buoys and life-buoys, to see that they are at all times in good order, and the latter ready to be dropped into the water at a moment's warning.

490 He is to report to the Navigator for entry in the log-book, after an action, or after any exercise in which powder, or powder and shot are used, the quantity of each expedited, and is to sign the entry in attestation of its correctness.

401 He is responsible for the good condition of everything pertaining to the guns and their equipments, magazines, shell rooms, shot and shell, small-arms, &c, and he is to satisfy himself that they are constantly in good order and condition.

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