BULLETIN OF TttE tTNTTEP STATES EfSH COMMISSI^. 63 



18 THE WIJlll FISHERY OF AOltwn. 



By NIELS JVEL. 



The whale fishery began in 1864 and was carried on till 1868 by one 

 steamer, and then till 1877 by two steamers belonging to the same com- 

 pany. In 1877 the number of establishments (companies) rose to 2; 

 in 1881 to 5 j in 1882 to 8, which used 12 steamers, and in 1883 to 14, with 

 23 steamers. Of these, 11 are in East Finmark — east of Gape North — 

 and three in West Finmark, between Cape North and the town of Ham- 

 in erfest. The catch was : 



Year. 



Whales. 



In 1872, 1877, and 1878, whaling was tried in the Strait of Davis by 



one vessel* but without success. Last year, Mr. Sv^nd Foyn, who is 

 the creator of the Norwegian whale fishery in Finmark, put up an 

 establishment in Iceland. This year he got 22 whales there. Besides, 

 whales are occasionally taken by fishermen, who shoot them with 

 arrows. In the waters of Spitzbergen there are taken every year by 

 vessels fitted out from Tromsoe about 150 to 250 so-called white whales 

 {Delphinapteruf: leucas Pallas), by means of nets, 1,100 to J, 200 meters 

 long with meshes of 0.16 m. 



The whales taken in Finmark belong to the two species: Blaah- 

 valen (Balamoptera sibbaldii Gra,y)j and Finhvalen (Balwnoptera musculm 

 Comp).$ 



The steamers used are built of iron, have a burden of 32 registered 

 tons net, and an engine of 25 to 35 nominal horse-power. The length is 

 22.5 to 26.7 meters, the breadth 4.0 to 4.3 meters, and thedraught 2.5 to 2.8 

 meters. They are rigged as fore-and-aft schooners. Below deck are only 

 the engine, the cabins, and a place for the cordage, as the whales are 

 always towed ashore either by the steamers or by a tug-boat. The crew 

 consists of 9 men ; viz., the captain, 1 gunner, 3 engineers, 1 steward and 

 3 sailors. The speed is 9 knots. 



* One of those engaged in the Jean-Mayn seal hunting. 



t 1 Blaahval yields 90 and 1 Finhval 40 hectoliters of oil. 



t Knolhval-Megaptera hoops (Fabneius) is also 10 in. times taken. 



