230 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



iuto shallower waters. From Karmo to Bspevser, the fisheries begin in 

 April, and farther north, near Straudsnud, in the beginning of May. Near 

 the Jaedder, which is farther south, but where the coast is not so flat and 

 convenient, the fisheries commence much later. The fisheries are con- 

 tinued through the following months, but cease iu the first-mentioued 

 district in the middle or toward the end of June, while in the others, 

 near Stavanger and the Southern Bergen district, they are continued 

 till the middle of June, and farther north till the first of August. When 

 the fisheries are to commence, the fishermen go to the outer islands near 

 the open sea, where the fisheries are richest, and live in sheds built for the 

 purpose, during the whole week from Monday on, returning with the 

 lobsters on Saturday, fishing thus going on for five days each week. 

 Two men generally club together and have thirty to fifty baskets. In 

 the evening, the baskets are furnished with bait, consisting of all sorts 

 of fish except herring and mackerel ; for they claim to have noticed that 

 lobsters caught with bait of the last-mentioned kind do not live long. 

 The baskets are then placed in the sea at a depth varying from 16 to 2 

 fathoms, according to the season of the year, and taken out before sun- 

 rise. The baskets can also be put in positiou when the tide comes in, 

 and be taken up when it goes out. As soon as the lobster is taken 

 from the basket, its claws are tied together with strong twine, and 

 it is placed either into a box perforated with many holes, or into a 

 larger basket, which is then sunk in the water near the coast. Here 

 the lobsters remain till Saturday morning, when they are taken out and 

 brought to the dealers, from whom the fishermen immediately receive 

 their pay. Ev 7 ery lobster which measures more than 8 inches from the 

 spine on its forehead to the tip end of its tail, and whose claws are perfect, 

 is called a " full man ;" but if it measures somewhat less, or if portions 

 of its claws are missing, it is called " half a man," and only fetches half 

 the price of the others. The dealers, who collect the lobsters on the coast, 

 pack them in large boats that can hold as many as 2,000, cover them up 

 with sea-weeds to protect them against the sun, and send them to the 

 chief depot, where they are immediately placed in special boxes. 

 These boxes differ somewhat among themselves; the best are about 

 3 yards long, 2£ yards broad, and 18 inches high, and perforated 

 by numerous holes, so as to constantly admit fresh water. These 

 boxes hold about 400 lobsters each. Formerly, they were not so 

 high, but then the mortality among them was greater, especially in bad 

 weather, when the rain adulterated the water in the box. In other places, 

 these boxes are perfectly square, measuring four yards each way, and 

 hold about 500 to 800 lobsters. After the lobsters have arrived at the 

 chief depot, they must always rest for some hours in the box, before 

 they are placed on board the vessels, as they are sick from the long 

 voyage in open boats without water. Every Saturday, an English lob- 

 ster-vessel comes to the depot, begins to take its cargo in the evening, 

 and gets through with this Sunday afternoon, whereupon it immediately 



