Nathan Clifford

“ Where there is no peril, such a sacrifice presents no claim for such a contribution; but, the greater and more imminent the peril, the more meritorious the claim against the other interests, if the sacrifice was voluntary, and contributed to save the adventure from the impending danger to which all the interests were exposed. ”

“ Sacrifices, voluntarily made in the course of a voyage, of part of the ship, or part of the cargo, to save the whole adventure from an impending sea peril, or extraordinary expenses incurred for the joint benefit of both ship and cargo, and which became necessary in consequence of a common peril of the kind, are regarded as the proper objects of general average. ”

“ Navigation, at best, is a perilous pursuit; and all those who follow it know full well that the owners of ships and cargoes frequently suffer disastrous losses, in spite of every safeguard and precaution which they can adopt. Equitable rules and regulations designed to avert the consequences likely to ensue from such perils, or to ameliorate the loss in case of disaster, have long been known in the jurisprudence of commercial countries, which, being founded in the principles of equity, are entitled to be administered in the same spirit in which they had their origin. ”