John Adie, Esq , on the Marine Telescope. 121 



man already mentioned, for having brought this instrument 

 into notice in the public prints, under the name of Nor- 

 wegian water-telescope, on the shores of which country it 

 is stated to be much used in fishing — in particular, -that of 

 the herring ; but the herring-fishers on the east coast of 

 Scotland inform us, that they require no such auxiliary, as, 

 from the surrounding elevated grounds, they can tell the 

 position of the shoal, and, from their motions seen from such 

 situations, they know where they are to be found when they 

 go out a-fishing.* • 



* Norwegian Water- Telescope. 



The water-telescope is thus noticed in a very promising periodical, the 

 American Annual of Scientific Discovery, just published, of which a copy 

 reached us a few days ago. — Ed, Phil. Journal. 



The water-telescope is an instrument which the people of Norway have found 

 of so great utility, that there is scarcely a single fishing-boat without one of 

 three or four feet in length, which ibey carry in their boats with them when 

 they go a-fishing. When they reach the fishing-grounds, they immerse one end 

 of this telescope in the water, and look through the glass, which shews objects 

 some ten or fifteen fathoms deep as distinctly as if they were within a foot of 

 the surface. When a shoal of fish comes into their bays, the Norwegians in- 

 stantly prepare their nets, man their boats, and go out in pursuit. The first pro- 

 cess is minutely to survey the ground with their glasses, and where they find 

 the fish swarming about in great numbers, they give the signal, and surround 

 the fish with their large draught-nets, and often catch them in hundreds at a 

 time. Without these telescopes their business would often prove precarious 

 and unprofitable; as the fish, by these glasses, are as distinctly seen in the deep, 

 clear sea of Norway, as gold-fish in a crystal jar. This instrument is not only 

 used by the fishermen, but is also found aboard the navy and coasting-vessels 

 of Norway. When their anchors get into foul ground, or their cables warped 

 on a roadstead, they immediately apply the glass, and, guided by it, take steps 

 to put all to rights, which they could not do so well without the aid of the rude 

 and simple instrument, which the meanest fisherman can make up with his own 

 hands, without the aid of a craftsman. This instrument has been lately adopted 

 by the Scotch fishermen on the Tay, and, by its assistance, they have been 

 enabled to discover stones, holes, and uneven ground, over which their nets 

 travel, and have found the telescope answer to admiration, the minutest object 

 in twelve feet of water being as clearly seen as on the surface. We see no 

 reason why it could not be used with advantage in tl^e rivers and bays of the 

 United States. 



