i.i>si;i; iiALiiii'i'. 



411) 



when 8()lit;n'\' .sjH'ciinciis li;i\c liccii taken, dv when llicx 

 lia\c liccn seen at the siirlacc in Hiiiiit IVoni the < ii'ccii- 

 land seal, in ihc stdniadi (jT which s|iccinicn,-- ha\c hccii 

 tnnnil. iir trcmi the white whah' { /)cl/i/iii/<i/iliTiis Icikhs). 

 llowexer, the l,esser llalihnt i> nnw (IS.")7) taken alnm^t 

 ('Xrhisi\el\- in twd |)kaees, the iee-ljord 111' .lakiihsha\ n 

 and ( hnenak IJoimL and in each nl these inh'ls on eer- 

 tain hanks ahme. In .lakiihsha\ ii l"j<jnl 1 iiese lianks lie 

 within the ii|)enini; and wilhin lhe shall()\\s whieli are 

 eoiitinnalh neen|iied \)\ the \ci-\ k-ir,i;'esl ieelieriis; liuT 

 there is another tishin,i;-liaid<. which i^. hnwcxcr. in h'» 

 re|Mire, ontside the o|ieiiinL;'. In tlie nionth ni'.lannai'x 

 the l-^S(|ninianx ent hoh's al certain s|iiil> in the ice. 

 and fish \\'ith hook and line at a (h'pth of .").")(). or even, 

 it is asserted. ."iSO fathoms. The fnie is L^-ein.M'alh- nia(h' 

 of thin twine or, still helter. of whalehone. for with 

 a line of this niatei'ial it is easier to feel ihe hite. and 

 thns ninch time is sjiarcd \\hich wonid he lost it the 

 tishernnin were donhtfnl whethei' he had a hitt' or no. 

 The most important point on which the sueeess of this 

 fishery depends, lies in the different positions taken li\' 

 the ieelier^s lief'ore theA' are ice-hound and the fjord 

 freezes. Sometimes larffe iceherii's collect on the l)anks 

 or round tlieui, and thns render the fisher\ (|nite im- 

 possible Of very dangerous, as the iceheriis •'cdlii' (split 

 into smaller i)ieces)", and the fisherman is compelled to 

 stay close to them lor lonu |ieriods dui'iuL;' flu' tishei'^". 

 The I'xpiimaux are ineredilih' skilful in makin^L:' tlieir 

 wa\' along this treaehei'ous fjord, the opening of which. 

 on a<'eount of the large hank co\ ci'ed with icelii'i'gs. is 

 of the same chai'actev as the innermost parts of other 

 ice-fjords, at the yerge of the solid land-ice. Thus, in 

 18"il. a most iuif"a\ ourahle year to the Halihat-fishery, 

 the Es(piimaux might be seen, surrounded half In' o]ien 

 water and half b^' icebeig-s. on ice that was partly 

 broken up b\- the ■cahing of the icebergs and partly 

 worn awa^• ii)' the current, and at spots which it se<'med 

 ph\'sicall\ impossible tor a human foot to reach. In 

 addition to the difficulties thrown in the way of the 

 Halibut-fishery by the icebergs, it is also su]i]iosed that 

 the Halibuts are dri\cn :iwa\- b\ white wli.ales ( />c/^y///- 



iKi/ilrriis Ifififis). and it is not nuich use h>hing a> long 

 as these dolphins ro\e in the open water oni>ldc the 

 opening of the tjoi-d. When the circumstances are 

 la\ ouivdile. one person ma\ catcii JH Halibuts a da\' 

 on an a\erage or. in exeeptionalK fortunate case>. IS, 

 anil the tisher\' max begin in danuarx anil go on to 

 lhe middle ol' Mai'ch: hut in oth<'r \cars it liardK lasts 

 a week, and its average duralioii i^ prob.abK liardK' 

 more than a month. In unfa\oin'a lile seasons liardK 

 more than '2 — 4 fish are taken dailx on each line. < 'n 

 the olher side ol' the ice-fjoi-d. off < 'lau^lia\ n, the fi^herx 

 is carried on in exactlx the same xva\ : but scareeK 

 more than lM) fishermen are engaged at the sanu' time. 

 The Halibuts weigh on an axcrage hetween a and Ii 

 kgm. and seldom more than |tt kgm. The\ are \er\ 

 fat and .are uuich liked b\ the l-,s(|uiniaux. The\ are 

 also \crA' well adapted {'uy purposes o| cui'ing when lait 

 into slices and drietl. (_)n account ol their great latness 

 the\ \ iejd excellent train-oil. \\ hen the catch of seaK 

 is seantx. the Halibut can thus sup]il\ not oid\ food but 

 also the most necessar\' :irticle for purposes of domestic 

 warming and lighting. In < hnenak f joi'd the species is 

 found on lunnerous banks. scattere(l about at some 

 distance from each other. 1*^\ er\ inhabited place iias 

 one or more ljaid<s at a distance of less than •'! miles 

 if we except the outermost ]iart of the fjiu'd. off Xiak- 

 ornak. where the baid^s are \"ei'\' few. In ( )menak 

 I'joi'd the de]ith of the ^vater fished is oidv slightly 

 more than 2tM) fathouis: anil here the fisherman is less 

 exposed to the danger of tlie baid<s' being coveved l)y 

 icebergs. lint in this fjorrl the Ha]ibut> are smaller 

 and less plentiful than in the ice-fjord of .lakob^- 

 ha\ n." 



(hi the Aniei-ican side of the Atlantic the range 

 of tlie Lesser Halibut thus extends, as far as we know, 

 from Omenak to ('ape ("od (between Lats. 71"^ and 

 4"2° X.): on the east side of the .Atlantic is seems to 

 go farther north, at least to about the Tord degree of 

 latitude', lint not so far south. ]ierhaps not much south 

 of the Tilth degree of latitude. Its batlninetric exten- 

 sion i> hetxveen about liM and 4.")n fathmiis. 



" Cf. tlie expression lo "cave in." 



'' Tlie Ki.iwegimi Arrlic E.xi.erlilieii feimd il at ;i dejitli of 447 fatlioiiis. in l.-it. Ii '.7' X.. lonj;- 14' ?>i' E. Tlit- liotton: was 

 (■(imiioseil of ar.TV el.iv. .■mil tlic Ipniporaliiri- at tlie iMidom \vai= :il)".5t>' Falir. 



