234 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



the species chiefly taken is the Scymnus borealis. The 

 fishery is only prosecuted off the coast in small undecked 

 boats, manned by four men. In autumn the sharks are 

 in the best condition and yield the most oil ; in summer 

 they scarcely afford any. Some of the large species of 

 basking sharks will yield as much as 1600 Ibs. of oil. The 

 crude shark oil sells in Russia at about 6s. the poud of 

 36 Ibs., and when refined is worth double that price. 



Sharks are caught on the New Zealand shores in great 

 numbers, during the months of November, December, and 

 January, by the natives, who use them as an article of 

 food. The fins can be procured at a very moderate rate, 

 and fetch a good price in the China market. 



The Government of the colony of Victoria having pub- 

 lished a scale of rewards for the capture of sharks, the 

 pursuit has become a frequent occupation among the 

 fishermen and boatmen of Hobson's Bay. In one week in 

 May, 1877, over 3500 sharks were captured by the fisher- 

 men of Sandridge, some of whom earned from 3 to 4 

 per day. One immense shark, measuring between 1 5 and 

 1 6 feet in length, was caught in the bay. 



It was stated some years ago that there were 13 boats, 

 manned with 12 men each, constantly engaged in the shark 

 fishery at Kurrachee. One boat will sometimes capture at 

 a draught as many as 100 sharks of different sizes. The 

 average capture of each boat probably amounts to about 

 3000, making the number of sharks taken not less than 

 40,000 a year. The great basking shark, or mhor (Sclache 

 maximus), is always harpooned ; it is found floating or 

 asleep near the surface of the water. The liver of a large 

 fish of this species yields there eight barrels of oil. The 

 oil is of a very low specific gravity. 



The fish, once struck, is allowed to run till tired ; it is 



