THE COD FISHERIES NEAR THE LOFFODEN ISLANDS. 633 



fisli ou one line is something very unusual even during the best winter- 

 fisheries, and it was thus clearly demonstrated that the wealth of fish 

 in these waters must be very great. The tish were mostly cusk {Bros- 

 mills vulgaris), large ling, cod, and halibut {Uippoglossus maxiinm), or 

 the same kinds which are caught ou the large ridge off Aalesuud. 



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

 and whca, by my soundings, I thought I had reached there I let 

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

 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, i^qua- 

 Ills acanthus), all fish which i^refer a clayey bottom. The weather, un- 

 fortunately, prevented me from 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" (Storeggen) 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 lar, it 

 Is true, only rests on a few experiments with the bottom-scraper and 

 some frequently-interrupted soundings. But all these observafions 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 ou account of the uufavor- 

 able weather. There are likewise several natural conditions which should 

 be more closely examined, not only on 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 northerly direction, which, whatever way the wind might be, is found 

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

 entirely opposite direction. In connection 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 differ- 

 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 could 

 have done little or nothing on a sailing-vessel. 



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

 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 after 

 day undergoing great suffering and unable to accomplish anything. I 

 certainly endeavored to make use of every moment when the weather 

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



