THE COD FISHERIES NEAR THE LOFFODEN ISLANDS. G15 



that one bas to wait a long time before anything is to be seen. Every 

 now and then the water is rising a little over the deep places but Avith- 

 out disturbing the general calm, but suddenly the broad pyramid of 

 water assumes larger proportions. At its top it has the appearance as 

 if a fine sraoke was rising from it, and at the same time it makes a sort 

 of advancing movement, just as if some monster of the deep were push- 

 ing its snout out of the water; this is followed by a low rushing sound, 

 as of a passing storm, and presently the sea rises to an enormous height, 

 like a broad green and shining rampart, fringed at the top with seething 

 foam, which falls forward with a terrible fury, beating everything around 

 into amass of whitish froth. While lost in admiration of this grand 

 phenomenon one feels the boat suddenly raised up high and just as quickly 

 flung down deep, and fear fills the heart that all is lost ; but this feeling, 

 which naturally overcomes a person who witnesses such scenes for the 

 first time, soon passes away. In a short time everything is as calm as 

 if nothing had happened, the large waves which have been occasioned 

 by the breaking of the watery pyramid recede, and soon their distant 

 roar as they break against the coast shows that the catastrophe is over. 

 After the fury of the element is spent there generally follows a longer 

 period of calm, as if the ocean were gathering new strength for another 

 eruption, which is sure to take place sooner or later. 



I have not given this description for my own or for the reader's amuse- 

 ment, but because (as will be seen from the following) this natural 

 phenomenon had a good deal to do with my investigation of the fish- 

 eries. For the question arises why the fish show a decided tendency 

 to keep near these deep places; and the most jilausible explanation is 

 found in the peculiar conditions produced by the heavy waves going 

 over these places. The bottom is always rocky and has a peculiarly 

 rich vegetation of algae ; the large algse {laminaricc) flourish here as in 

 all places which are exposed to the immediate influence of the waves. 

 On and among these algse there live a large number of lower marine 

 animals from a size scarcely visible to the naked eye to those of consid- 

 erable dimensions. Especially do the crustaceans live here which form 

 the favorite food of the cod, as well as crabs, &c. It is not so easy, 

 however, for the fish to catch these small animals, their instinct having 

 taught them to avoid their greedy enemies by hiding among the algce 

 and by. darting away with lightning-like rapidity. The cod would there- 

 fore not catch any more here than in other places where there is a siai- 

 ilar algOB vegetation, if it were not that the above-mentioned violent 

 agitation of the water afforded aid from time to time. As soon as the 

 sea after a period of calm begins to rage in these deep places, a general 

 confusion is, of course, produced among the small animals; they are 

 whirled about and cast in every direction. This is the favorable mo- 

 ment for the cod, and as soon as the watery pyramid has broken, they 

 come in large numbers from all parts and feast on the little marine ani- 

 mals which are momentarily i)owerless and stunned by the sudden 



