494 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 



expedition was successful, and the vessel returned with a full cargo of 

 herriDgs of the finest quality. This result created quite a sensation in 

 Mandal business circles, and seven other merchants associated them- 

 selves with Mr. Jacobsen in the above-mentioned company. Alongside 

 of the land near the Sejdis fiord bought by Mr. Jacobsen, another and 

 larger piece of land was bought by the company, and a large and some- 

 what expensive establishment, answering to the great expectations en- 

 tertained with regard to this enterprise, was started on the Sejdis fiord. 

 During the first year these expectations were not disappointed, for about 

 2,000 tons of herrings were sent to Mandal. But now there followed a 

 number of poor years. The herrings did not make their appearance, and 

 the heavy expense of keeping up the establishment caused serious losses 

 to the stockholders. The consequence was that the company was dissolved 

 and the whole establishment sold for a mere song to a new company 

 rising from the ruins of the old one. Among those who had not yet given 

 up all hope was Mr. Jacobsen, who was also one of the stockholders of 

 the new company. But as the enterprise did not flourish, and did not 

 seem to promise any profits in the future, the number of stockholders 

 gradually decreased until only two were left, Mr. Jacobsen and another 

 merchant, Mr. Carl Lund. These two men, not discouraged by tempo- 

 rary failures, and able, by reason of their pecuniary circumstances, to 

 stand the pressure for some time, bought up the shares of all those stock- 

 holders who desired to withdraw from the company. At last, in 1877, 

 the herrings again made their appearance in the Sejdis fiord, and came 

 again in the following year. But in spite of the moderately successful 

 fisheries the net profits were not large, owing principally to the low price 

 of herrings. Last autumn, however, the sensational news reached Man- 

 dal from Iceland that such an enormous number of herrings had entered 

 the nets that there were not enough barrels and salt. These articles 

 were sent out at once, but nevertheless a considerable number of her- 

 rings was lost. In spite of this loss, however, the result was very sat- 

 isfactory, no less than 8,000 barrels of herrings having been salted, and 

 as prices were high (in Mandal 26£ crowns — $7.12 — wholesale price, were 

 paid for a barrel ; and in Gottenburg and Stockholm the retail price was 

 30 to 40 crowns ($9.64 to $10.72, per barrel), the two stockholders were 

 fully rewarded for their perseverance, and amply repaid for former 

 losses and disappointments. During the last few years the company has 

 every year sent two vessels with a crew of 28 men to Iceland. Barrels, 

 salt, food, &c, are of course taken along from Norway. Last year's ex- 

 pedition unfortunately closed with a very sad occurrence. In December 

 the Dutch steamer Anna was to take the remainder of that year's yield 

 of herrings — 2,117 barrels — and the officers and workmen of the Sejdis 

 fiord establishment back to Bergen. AtFeiosen, nearBergeln, the steamer 

 ran against a rock and immediately sank to a depth of 8 fathoms. Be- 

 sides the first mate, the pilot, and two coopers, Captain Abrahamsen, the 

 director of the Sejdis fiord establishment, also met his death in the 



