THE NORWEGIAN HERRING-FISHERIES. 101 



3. To endeavor to find out, by historical data, the migration of the 

 herring -fisheries at large ; how the mass of herring at one time ap- 

 proached one part of the coast of Norway, and then another ; or how 

 disappeared entirely ; and then to compare these facts with those gath- 

 ered from other couutries, and thus to ascertain if there be any connec- 

 tion between the different herring : fisheries in Norway and other coun- 

 tries ; and also to compare the fisheries of former times with those of 

 the present, in order to ascertain if any satisfactory results could be 

 reached with regard to their future condition. 



In accordance with this plan, Boeck has, during his sojourn of five 

 years at the fishing-stations of Norway, made personal observations, and 

 has also collected material from archives and libraries. He was greatly 

 assisted in his observations by two citizens of Bergen, the consul Carl 

 Kouow, and the banker N. Nicolaysen, who permitted him to use two 

 collections of carefully kept diaries regarding the herring-fisheries from 

 the year 1835, which facts he partly supplemented by notes from Ben 

 bergenslce MerJeur, (the Bergen Mercury,) and from Stiftstidenden, (the 

 County Journal.) He finally obtained, through the firms of Kjellaud & 

 Son and Ploug & Suudt, in Stavanger, a series of observations made on 

 the fisheries previous to the year 1835, which he likewise supplemented 

 by a large amount of written and oral information derived from persons 

 iu Stavanger, Skudesnres, Kopervik, and Haugesund. From all this 

 material there may be compiled a more or less complete account of the 

 fisheries from 1808 down to 1852. 



Boeck has draughted, on a large scale, a map of the southern coast 

 of Norway, from Sognefjord to Gottenburg, and the northern part of 

 Jutland. The depth of the sea along the coast is marked by lines in 

 accordance with the information which he had received. Another map, 

 on a much larger scale, embraces the coast from Espevser to Tuugenoes. 

 On this there are marked the channels and depths, together with sev- 

 eral fishing-banks, to within a mile of the outer coast, which are not 

 usually indicated on the coast maps, and which were carefully pointed 

 out to Boeck by an old fisherman, Henrik Roevar, as well as by other 

 fishermen from Syre and Utsire. The localities indicated on the map 

 last mentioned are the ones to which he devoted special attention. He 

 has chosen this locality, partly because at that time the fisheries were 

 particularly productive in those places, the northern fishery having 

 ouly just then begun to be of any importance, and the Sondmor fishery 

 being still in its infancy; and partly, because it has always been one of 

 the chief places for catching spring herring. He has also contiuued his 

 observations there in order to make them the more satisfactory. 



When Boeck first went to the fishing-grounds, he determined to follow 

 the advice of the government inspector, which was to go out with the 

 fishing-boats, and also to frequently visit the stations for salting. A 

 fisherman, whose advice he followed, often spoke of putting the nets in 

 the channels, and he found on inquiry, and by observations with the 



