ANDERSSEN, FISEEEY EXHIBITION, PHILADELPHIA, 1S76. 65 



generally their own masters witli regard to the way in which they wish 

 to dispose of their fish. The fishermen of Nova Scotia are, to some extent, 

 and those of Newfoundland nearly altogether, equipped by the mer- 

 chants, to whom they thus become debtors, gradually paying off their 

 debt by fish. It therefore often happens, as with us, that in poor fishing 

 seasons the merchants run a risk of not having the money laid out by 

 them refunded, or that they sometimes are cheated out of the whole or 

 a portion of the fish on which they had calcidated, by fishermen (in order 

 to raise cash) selling their fish at a higher price than they would receive 

 from their merchants to foreign merchants or to the French fishermen's 

 colony at St. Pierre, southwest of Newfoundland. 



The Nova Scotia cod-fisheries hold about the same relation to those of 

 Newfoundland as the Sondmore and Nordmore cod-fisheries to those of 

 Loffoden and Finmarken. These fisheries are carried on very much in 

 the same way as with us. The coast-fishery is chiefly carried on by 

 large, well-manned boats, with nets and lines, and the bank-fishery 

 by swift schooners fitted up like the Gloucester ones and furnished with 

 dories and boats, only not quite so handsome in their appearance. The 

 French fishing-vessels belonging to the above-mentioned French colony 

 of St. Pierre have a different shape and different rigging (generally 

 cutters or large sloops like the English lobster- vessels) ; they are also 

 manned and equipped differentlj^ from the Newfoundland bank-fishing 

 vessels. The French fisheries near Newfoundland differ altogether from 

 those of other nations, especially with regard to the preparing of the 

 fish and roe, and the distribution of the fish. The state stands at the 

 head of the fisheries, and has a governor at St. Pierre who superin- 

 tends the whole. The present governor, M. Boubert, with whom I had 

 the pleasure to travel from Halifax to Liverpool, told me that the French 

 Government had sent him a number of Norwegian fishing implements, 

 especially codfish nets and lines with floats ; but as he had not yet had 

 any opportunity to try them, he could not say anything regarding their 

 practical use in these waters. 



A Norwegian who has lived for a number of years in New Tork as 

 partner in a large business establishment which failed during the civil 

 war, and who now lives in Halifax, as Belgian consul, Mr. 0. E. Eonne 

 /son of the late Danish Doctor Eonne of Christianssand), who was edu- 

 cated at the Norwegian Naval Academy, but had to leave the naval ser- 

 vice on account of his weak eyes, a man of position in Halifax, with an 

 unusual knowledge of languages and great experience, was likewise the 

 companion of my voyage from Halifax to Liverpool. From this inter- 

 esting gentleman I obtained a great deal of information regarding New 

 England and Newfoundland in general, and their fisheries in particular, 

 for which I heres^ith express my heartfelt gratitude. I made copious 

 notes regarding the leading features of the Nova Scotia and Newfound- 

 land fisheries, but to complete these there are still wanting, the manner 

 in which the fish are prepared, statistical data, «&c., and I shall give 

 5 F 



