fortunately been preserved.

As soon as the vessel was upon the high sea the crew, which consisted
of the captain and the "ship's children," pledged itself strictly to
obey orders and equitably to divide any booty eventually secured. A
court of sheriffs was then organized, consisting of a judge, four
sheriffs, a sergeant-at-arms, a secretary, an executioner, and several
other officials. Thereupon came the proclamation of the maritime law
upon which the eventual judgment of the court was based. The tenor of
this law was as follows: It is forbidden to swear in God's name; to
mention the devil; to sleep after the hour for prayer; to handle
lights; to destroy or waste food; to meddle with the duties of the
drawer of liquor; to play at dice or cards after sunset; and to vex
the cook or annoy the crew under penalty of a monetary fine. The
following are some of the penalties inflicted for various offences:
Whoever sleeps while on guard or creates a disturbance between decks
shall be drawn under the keel of the vessel; whoever attempts to draw
weapons on board, be they long or short, shall have the respective
weapon run through his hand into the mast, so that he will have to
draw the weapon through his own hand again if he would free himself;
whoever accuses another unjustly shall pay the double fine prescribed
for the offence charged; and no one shall endeavor to take revenge
upon the executioners. Upon the completion of the voyage the court
resigned, after dispensing a general amnesty and partaking of bread
and salt in company with the rest of the crew. Upon landing, the
monetary fines which had been collected from delinquents on board were
presented to the lord of the strand for benevolent distribution.

On arriving at the end of his journey the merchant was confronted by
new difficulties. It not infrequently happened that the master of the