1. Admiralty Jurisdiction—Maritime Contracts.

A contract by men to act as seamen on a voyage to and from salmon fishing grounds in Alaska, to work as fishermen during the season, and assist in canning- the fish on shore and in loading- them on board for transportation, is one maritime in its nature, and which a court of admiralty has jurisdiction to enforce.1

3. Contracts—Consideration—Performance of Legal Obligation.

Where a person who has bound himself by a contract to render services refuses to do so unless xiaid more than the contract price, the parties may enter into a new agreement, by which an increased compensation is to be paid for the same services, and in such case' the subsequent performance of the contract by the promisee is a sufficient consideration for the new agreement.

8. Same—Validity—Duress.

Where persons who have contracted to render services refuse, without lawful excuse, to jierform the same unless paid a greater compensation, the employer has his election to sue- toy damages for breach of the contract, or to enter into a new and substituted contract for the payment of the compensation demanded; and the fact that the former remedy is worthless, because the employes are not able to respond in damages, and the employer is induced thereby, and to save himself from greater loss, to yield to the demands of the employes,.and agree to pay a higher compensation .for the same services, does not constitute duress which will render the new contract invalid.

4. Corporation—Contracts—Estoppel to Deny Authority of Agent.

Where the superintendent of a canning company in charge of its plant in a distant place assumed authority to make a contract for the employment of men, and the company received and retained the henefit of the services rendered thereunder, it is estopped to deny the authority of the superintendent to make the contract.,

5. Settlement—Release of Claim for Wages—Effect in Admiralty.

Contracts by men to navigate a vessel to and from Alaska, and -while there to work as fishermen during the season for taking and canning-salmon, are not, strictly speaking, for the performance of services as seamen, ’and are not within the provisions of Iiev. St. § 4552, which make releases executed as therein provided on settlement with seamen conclusive on the parties; and where such men, on their return, were offered less than they were legally entitled to receive under their contract, and were impelled by their necessities to accept the same, and to sign releases in full, which they did under xirotest, a court of admiralty will not hold them concluded by such releases, although they were signed with full knowledge of their terms.