XX -THE ICELANDIC HALIBUT FISHERY-AN AC(!OUNT OF 

 THE VOYAGES OF THREE GLOUCESTER SCHOONERS TO THE 

 FISHING GROUNDS NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF ICELAND. 



Bv Capt. J. W. Collins, 



lu the spring- of tliis year (1884) several of tlie Gloucester fishing 

 schooners ventured on a new enterprise, by making' trii)8 to the grounds 

 near the coast of Iceland for the ijurpose of obtaining fares of tl itched 

 hulibut and halibut fins. These were to be brought home in a salted 

 condition, the former to be cured as " smoked halibut," and the latter 

 packed in barrels, with brine, and sold as i)ickled fish. Three vessels 

 went to Iceland — the Alice M. Williams, Cai)t. George W, Pendleton ; 

 the Concord, Capt. John Dago; and the David A. Story, Capt. Jose])h 

 Ilyan. AW have recently arrived home, and the last to discharge has 

 finished taking out her cargo. The results that have been obtained 

 will be submitted, as well as a brief account of the trips, based ujfon 

 information that has been furnished by the captains of the respective 

 vessels, and upon notes kept b.y them while on their voyages. 



Before entering on a description of these cruises it maj-, perhaps, be 

 well to note that the fishing grounds about Iceland have heretofore 

 been practically unknown to American fishermen. The only American 

 fishing vessel that has previously visited Iceland was the schooner 

 Membrino Chief, Capt. John S. McQuin, Ue went there in lS7o on a 

 salt halibut tri[), but set his trawl lines only once. Therefore, little or 

 nothing was learned of the abundance of halibut, while his failure to 

 securea fare has heretofore influenced others so much as to prevent them 

 from making a tri}) to the same region. 



Though the vessels that went there this year have met with very 

 flattering success, it is by no means improbable that greater familiarity 

 with the region may result in the discoverj- by our fishermen of large 

 areas of sea bottom where halibut occur in great abundance, and which, 

 on an experimental cruise like tliis first one, they would be unlikely to 

 find. 



Halibut also occur in great abundance, according to Mr. F. M. Wal- 

 lem, on certain parts of the aSTorwegian coast. And this gentleman, 

 while at the International Fisheries Exhibition at Loudon, in the summer 

 of 1883, told me that he would give any desired information relative tq 



il] 289 



IL I\lis, 08-^ 19 



