Any Magistrate, upon an application being made to him by the Consul of any foreign Power to which section 238 of the [Merchant Shipping Act, 1894] [Coll. State. Vol. II] has by an Order in Council [or order] [Inserted by the A.O. 1950.], been, or shall hereafter be, declared to applicable, or by the representative of such Consul, and upon complaint on oath of the description of any seamen, not being a slave, from any vessel of such foreign Power may, until a revocation of such Order in Council 256[or order] has been publicly notified, issue his warrant for the apprehension of any such deserter, and, upon due proof of the desertion may order him to be conveyed on board the vessel to which he belongs or, at the instance of the consul, to be detained in custody until the vessel is ready to sail or if the vessel has sailed, for a reasonable time not exceeding one month.

Provided that a deposit be first made of such sum as the Magistrate deems necessary for the subsistence of the deserter during the detention and that the detention of the deserter of the shall not be continued beyond twelve weeks.