Anónimo - Cinco años en Buenos Aires 1820-1825

Rules of the Port of Buenos Ayres; Dues to be paid by Foreign and National Vessels; Penalties to which those are subject who violate the Laws of the Police, or who attempt to destroy in any manner the line of Buoys established on the Ortiz and Chico Banks, Mount Santiago, and Point Lara, or those which the Government may hereafter establish on other points of the river for the safety of navigators.

Article:

1. The guard ship, in the inner roads, on observing a vessel anchor in the outer roads, will hoist a red flag at the mizen mast, as a signal to the captain of the vessel which has arrived, to proceed towards the shore in his boat.
2. The said captain, taking with him his papers, will go on board the guard ship.
3. On the arrival of the boat, the commandant of the guard ship will desire her to anchor astern, and will then hoist a yellow flag, for the health boat to come and pass the visit.
4. The commandant of the guard ship must not permit any communication between his crew and those of the boat, until after the health visit.
5. The captain will be interrogated by the health and war visit; and if he does not answer truly, he will be tried by the laws of the country.
6. If the weather will not permit the health-boat to pass the visit, the commandant of the guard-ship will wait till they make signals from the shore. Those signals will generally be, to permit the boat of the vessel which has arrived to disembark on the quay. If, nevertheless, the weather be too boisterous, and the boat cannot come on shore, the commandant of the guard-ship may permit the crew to go on board him, and then the guard-ship herself will be considered in a state of quarantine, and must not communicate with any person, be who they may, until after the health visit has passed.
7. When the health visit has fulfilled her office, the commandant of the guard-ship will strike the red and yellow flags, mentioned in the Articles 1st and 3d.
8. Having permission to communicate with the shore, captains will present themselves at the Captain of the Port’s office, where they will fully inform him of the police of the port.
9. On arriving at the anchorage of Point Lara, captains who wish to enter the port of Ensenada, will hoist a flag at the mizen-mast, proceed to the vicinity of the fortress, and there wait the health and war visit. They are expressly forbidden to communicate with any person, under the penalties established by the quarantine laws.
10. Ships of war are an exception; they are not required to conform to the above articles.
11. All ships of war, in which the crew may be attacked by a contagious disorder, will hoist a yellow flag, and be subject to the laws of quarantine.

For foreign vessels, by the ton, four reals.

For national vessels, from foreign parts, two reals.

The dues mentioned in the two preceding articles must be paid, half on arrival, and half on the departure of the vessel.

National and foreign vessels, which neither take nor receive cargo, will only pay half the dues mentioned above.

Foreign vessels will pay, besides, on their entry, twelve dollars for the health visit, and twelve dollars more upon their departure for the health certificate.

National vessels only pay half for the visit and the health certificate.

The charges for pilots are included in the anchorage dues.

Article:

1. Every vessel anchored in the port of Buenos Ayres must mutually render each other assistance, in case of drifting, or other risk of average. Those who refuse will be subject to the sentence and penalties prescribed by law.
2. In consequence of the little depth of water, it is expressly enjoined to every vessel anchored in the port to have on its anchors correspondent buoys, as vessels coming in and going out, not seeing the buoys, run a risk of striking on the anchors. Those who fail using precaution in this respect will be responsible for the averages and losses that may result from it.
3. Vessels which have not buoys will give notice to the Captain of the Port, who will send some, with a pilot to place them. The anchor must not be raised without a permission to that effect.
4. At the moment of anchoring, the regular pilots will take care to inform the captains, that they may provide themselves with every thing necessary for the anchorage of their vessels; and if the pilot discovers an infraction of this article, he will immediately inform the Captain of the Port, under the penalty of being himself punished with all the rigour prescribed by law, as negligence in this respect may cause the greatest losses and averages.
5. If, in consequence of bad weather, the anchors and cables of a vessel fail to hold, and it can be proved that those same cables and anchors do not correspond with the size of the vessel, or that the cables were in bad condition, then the said vessel shall be responsible for the averages that may be occasioned thereby.
6. Every vessel from foreign parts, who moor themselves in the port, without asking for a pilot at the Captain of the Port’s office, will be, by this proceeding, responsible for all the averages which may be occasioned thereby, and will have no right of claim, in case they suffer damage themselves.
7. Every vessel anchored, who may have its long boat or boat astern, and, seeing another vessel under sail, neglects to haul them up out of the way, not only will forfeit the right to claim in case of average, but will even be responsible for that which such negligence may occasion.
8. It is expressly forbidden to every vessel in the port to throw any thing into the water, of their ballast, or any other object that does not float, under the penalties prescribed by law.
9. It is forbidden to each vessel, under any pretext whatever, except at the moment of her arrival, to fire salutes, in the inner roads at least, without having first obtained permission of the Captain of the Port. The captain of a vessel who infringes upon this article, will be placed at the disposal of the government.
10. Boats belonging to vessels anchored in the outer and inner roads must go on board one hour after sun-set.
11. All boats found on shore after the evening gun, and until the morning gun has been fired, will be dismantled, and the crew punished according to the case and circumstances.

Article:

1. To throw a kedge anchor, or hold on in any manner whatever to the said buoys, the punishment of the galleys.
2. Those who take them away, or change their places, unless it be by the authority of government, will be punished with all the rigour of the law, even to the penalty of death.
3. They will punish equally those who make a fire on the said buoys, or by any other means attempt to destroy them.
4. Every captain will receive, on his arrival, a copy of these regulations; the cost of which will be included in the dues of the port.

The Government approves the above regulations, orders them to be printed, and fixes the price of each copy at two reals, to be distributed according to the tenor of the last article.

(Signed) HERAS.

By order of the Government,

(Signed) IGNACIO ALVAREZ.

Buenos Ayres, July, 1824.

1. From three fathoms in the outer roads, steer E. by S. by the compass, until Point Santiago of the Ensenada of Barragan bears S.W. by the compass. Off this point, you will find from 5½ to 6 fathoms of water, according to the state of the river.