THE COD FISHERIES NEAR THE LOFFODEN ISLANDS. 633 



fisb ou oue line is somothiiig very unusual even during the best winter- 

 tisbeiies, and it was thus cleaily dt.'nionstrated that the wealth of hsh 

 in these waters must be very great. The fish were mostly cusk (Bros- 

 mills vulgaris), large ling, cod, and halibut {Ilippoglossus maxinius), or 

 the same kinds Avhich are caught ou the large ridge otf Aalesund. 



Ou my uext trip I endeavored to strike the ridge in another place; 

 and whej, by mj- soundings, I thought I had reached there I let 

 down my line. When I hauled it in I noticed, however, that it had got 

 into deep water where the bottom consisted of soft clay ; the number 

 of fish which I caught was therefore considerably less than the last time, 

 and consisted chiefly of hyse (haddock), skates, and haa (dogfish, ISqua- 

 lus acanthus), all fish which prefer a clayey bottom The weather, un- 

 fortunately, prevented me Irom making any more observations during 

 this trip. 



This was all the practical result I could obtain.' At the same time I 

 made several observations of great scientific interest. I will here only 

 mention that my examination of the nature and fauna of the raised 

 bottoms has led me to the astonishing supposition that the greater 

 portion if not the whole of the wide extent of ground between the coast 

 and the so-called " great ridge" (Storeggeu) has far back in time been 

 raised above the level of the ocean, and that the outer edge of the great 

 ridge has constituted our original coast-line. This supposition so far, it 

 is true, only rests ou a few experiments with the bottom-scraper and 

 some frequently-interrupted soundings. But all these observations seem 

 to point so distinctly in this direction that I can scarcely doubt their cor- 

 rectness, although I would have wished to obtain still more convincing 

 data, which unfortunately proved impossible on account of the unfavor- 

 able weather. There are likewise several natural conditions which should 

 be more closely examined, not only ou account of their scientific interest, 

 but because they most assuredly have a considerable influence on the 

 life of the fish. One of these is the very circumstance which hindered 

 me most in examining the large ridge, viz, the violent current, going in 

 a nortlierly direction, which, whatever way the wind might be, is foutxl 

 near the great ridge, while nearer the land the current may flow in an 

 entirely opposite direction. In conneciiou with this investigation it 

 was of great interest to me to make thermometrical observations at dif 

 ferent depths, which might throw much, light on the nature of the diffrr- 

 ent currents. Of all this I could only get a very faint idea, as I did not 

 have the necessary instruments, and even if I had had them 1 couhl 

 have done little or nothing on a sailing-vessel. 



There is therefore a great deal to be investigated both practically nnd 

 scientifically ; and it was very trying to me as a scientist to know what 

 a wide field for observation was before me and then to lie still day alter 

 day undergoing great suffering and unable to accomplish anything. 1 

 certainly endeavored to make use of ev6ry moment when the weather 

 was in the least favorable ; but all these moments when added up would 



