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(4) -Circular issued by the Belgian Government to Belgian Consular
Agents in all Ports, dated 14th January 1899.
Notice to Mariners.
Bills of Health.-Agreeably to the terms of Article 12 of
the Royal Orders of the 17th August 1831, modified by the
Order of 15th December 1898, every vessel arriving from any
port (vessels having merely called for orders excepted) must,
whatever their port of destination and their nationality, carry
a bill of health delivered by a Belgian Consular Agent certi-
fying as to the Sanitary condition of the place of departure
and as to the vessels own sanitary condition at the time of
departure.
This is an accordance with Article 13 of the Order of 17th
August 1831, modified by the Order of 15th December last, in
virtue of which Order every vessel without a bill of health has
to remain under observation for a period to be regulated by
the local sanitary authorities besides being subject to such
measures as its own sanitary condition may require.
It may happen that vessels sail from a foreign port where
there is no Belgian Consular Agent; in this case besides all
other documents which may be given them by the authorities
of the country and by the Consuls of other nations, they should
also provide themselves in the first port of call where a
Belgian Consular Agent resides with a license delivered by
him (Article 15 of the Order-vide 17th August 1831, modified
by the Order of 15th December 1898).
Moreover Article 16 modified by the Order of 17th August
1831 lays down that the license delivered by the Belgian
Consular Agent at the port of departure or at the first port
of call should be visée by the Belgian Consular Agent residing
in the last port of call where the vessel touches before reach-
ing Belgium. This Agent will state on the license if the
vessel has received free pratique or if it has had to undergo
any sanitary measures.
In case of a vessel bound for Belgium neglecting to fulfil
any of these formalities, the Consular Agent should imme-
diately inform the Department of Foreign Affairs, if necessary
by telegraph.
(G.O., No. 185, Marine, dated 28th February 1899.)