Not many shipping companies made warrants against the lascar deserters. Some ex-seamen felt free to apply to the High Commissioner for India to obtain Certificates of Nationality and the British Indian Seamen's Certificates of Identity, which are to all intents and purposes passports and are regarded as such by their holders.

In 1937, there were only two shipping companies, the P&O and the Ellerman Lines, which took out warrants concerning Indian seamen deserting their ships. A number of warrants of apprehension were in existence for the arrest of Indian seamen who had deserted their ship, issued under the Merchant Shipping Act, XIII Section 680-83. The offenders were often arrested or became the subject of police inquiry.

Such records, where they have survived, are kept at the London Metropolitan Archives; in a few instances files are available at the National Archives.

Held under the National Archives record MT 9/502 (File M14768) is a return of work performed and a statement of fees received by the Superintendent of Merchant Marine Office in connection with the transfer of lascars during the quarter ended 30 June 1894. It gives:

However, the name of the lascars is not given.

Asiatic Seamen's Agreement and Crew Lists
Under section 25 of the Indian Merchant Shipping Act 1875:

Details are found in (PRO) MT 9/127 (File M 7332).

It is worth checking the Board of Trade: Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, and its predecessor: Agreements and Crew Lists, Series II, 1861-1994 in the National Archives record series (PRO)BT 99.

This series consists of a 10% sample of agreements and crew lists (with log books where they survive) for the years 1861-1938, 1951-79 and 1980-90, kept by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and its predecessor Agreements and Crew Lists.

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