THE COD FISHERIES NEAR THE LOFFODEN ISLANDS. G31 



winter-fisheries. For the last-mentioned investigations, wbicli would 

 chieflj' consist in an examination of the formation of the bottom, and 

 of the other natural conditions of the places where fishing was going 

 on, I needed no special outfit, but could manage as in former years with 

 a common boat and three men. The case would, however, be different 

 with regard to my intended examination of the banks of the sea. Be- 

 fore I started I drew the attention of the department to the fact that an 

 open boat would be entirely useless, and with such a boat I could not 

 hope for any results. I had an idea that I could carry on my investiga- 

 tions much better if I had a small covered vessel, and I therefore 

 resolved if possible to hire one. I soon found, however, that there was 

 considerable difficulty in hiring such a vessel at this time when every 

 vessel was in use ; and when I at last secured an old vessel, which for- 

 tunately was not engaged, I could only hire it for a certain time, 

 regardless of the condition of the weather. On this anything but comfort- 

 able vessel, manned by four sailors, I made altogether four trips during 

 the summer, two from Aalesund and two from Christianssund, each trip 

 occupying about a week. Unfortunately, the weather was very unfa- 

 vorable. On my first trip I met with a great calm, so that after having 

 floated about for several days in constant danger of running against one 

 Q.f the many hidden reefs which extend for many miles beyond the outer 

 islands, I did not even get half way to Storeggen, and had finally to 

 return without having accomplished anything, chiefly because I was not 

 prepared for a long voyage and had but a scanty supply of provisions 

 on board. 



On my second trip I was more successful. Not only did I reach Sto- 

 reggen, but I even proceeded 3-4 Norwegian miles beyond this point, 

 or about 20 miles out in the open sea ; and although the weather was 

 not particularly favorable, I made several important observations of 

 the full-grown bank-cod, which in no essentials differs from the common 

 winter-cod, and of the young fish of that year. Besides the weather 

 there were a number of circumstances which hindered my observations, 

 circumstances which I had not counted on, and w^hich undoubtedly pre- 

 vented me from obtaining those important results which under more 

 favorable conditions I might have looked for with certainty. Among 

 these hinderances I must mention the unusually strong current which 

 prevails at Storeggen, at the best fishing-places, and which made it 

 very difficult for me to examine the bottom, or to set and haul in my 

 fishing implements ; moreover, I was often in an incredibly short time 

 driven away from the very points where 1 desired to make observations. 

 It might be said that one way was left open, viz, to cast anchor as the 

 fishermen do while engaged in fishing out here. This I would certainly 

 have done if my boat had, like the fishing-vessels, had a crew of 10-20 

 men, sufficient to raise the anchor from the great deep (about 100 fath- 

 oms). But to do this with only four men could not be thought of for a 

 moment. 



