Anyone is welcome to reply, but being a navy man and historian, I thought Indy might have a opinion, assuming those North Korean space aliens in the Roman time vortex don't have him again.
I don't know if this ever happened and a precedent was set, but let's say two nations were at war with one another during the great age of sail, circa 1790, and a frigate from Nation A. spotted a frigate from Nation B. and closed in, cannons at the ready, but just as Ship A. drew within range, Ship B. threw up a white flag and surrendered.
After the shouts of huzzah quieted, Ship A. sent over a dingy toward Ship B. but as it neared sailors from Ship B. cried out to them over the rails, "This ship is overcome with plague. We're all dying. Save yourselves and depart!"
All right, at that point, what would procedure be? Would Ship A. take Ship B.'s word about the plague and sail off, would Ship A. sink Ship B. or tow Ship B. behind it toward port figuring the ship was more valuable than the prisoners on it, or would Ship A. send over some red shirts to verify the plague?
I don't know why but this scenario occurred to me last night and has stayed in my head.
That really depends on the captain of the ship.
I can even see some captains deciding to sink the ship and put them out of their misery.
Good question - purely hypothetical, of course - but I would say, Captain's discretion.
In the O'Brian novels I read in the '00s there seemed to be the suggestion that the opposing ship was the enemy, not its crew, but I'm not sure how authentic that sentiment was.
So you're probably both right, and thanks for your input.
(I tried to give you good karma too, Indy, the but it's not letting me.)