239.—(1) An official log shall be kept in every ship (except ships employed exclusively in trading between ports on the coasts of Scotland) in the appropriate form for that ship approved by the Board of Trade.

(2) The Board of Trade shall approve forms of official log-books, which may be different for different classes of ships, so that each such form shall contain proper spaces for the entries required by this Act.

(3) The official log may, at the discretion of the master or owner, be kept distinct from, or united with, the ordinary ship’s log, so that in all cases the spaces in the official log-book be duly filled up.

(4) An entry required by this Act in an official log-book shall be made as soon as possible after the occurrence to which it relates, and if not made on the same day as that occurrence shall be made and dated so as to show the date of the occurrence and of the entry respecting it; and if made in respect of an occurrence happening before the arrival of the ship at her final port of discharge shall not be made more than twenty-four hours after that arrival.

(5) Every entry in the official log-book shall be signed by the master, and by the mate, or some other of the crew, and also

(a) if it is an entry of illness, injury, or death, shall be signed by the surgeon, or medical practitioner on board (if any); and

(b) if it is an entry of wages due to, or of the sale of the effects of, a seaman or apprentice who dies, shall be signed by the mate and by some member of the crew besides the master; and

(c) if it is an entry of wages due to a seaman who enters Her Majesty’s naval service, shall be signed by the seaman, or by the officer authorised to receive the seaman into that service.

(6) Every entry made in an official log-book in manner provided by this Act shall be admissible in evidence.