290 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 



the localities where halibut are plenty on the Norwegian coast, should 

 Americau vessels care to visit that region. I have called the attention 

 of our fishermen to the kind and courteous offer iiuule by Mr. Wallem, 

 and it is probable that some of the more enter{)rising skippers may, in 

 the future, venture even so far as Norway in pursuit of halibut. 



The schooner Alice M. Williams, which was the first to start for 

 Iceland and was also the first to arrive home, sailed from Gloucester 

 May 1, and reached that port on her return September lo, her voyage 

 occupying four niouths and 12 days. The outward passage was made 

 without any noteworthy incident. The vess<d ran across the sou.thcrn 

 part of the Graiul Bank, and on the southeast part of the bank fell in 

 with numerous icebergs, the only i(;e that was seen on the passage. On 

 May 21, land was sighted at Skaga, where a boat was sent on shore on 

 the following day.* On the 25th the Williams ran iuto Ise Fiord. 



When the schooner arrived at Ise Fiord, Captain Pendleton was in- 

 formed by the local magistrate, nnd also by a Norwegian named J. 

 Eglehus, a naturalized citizen of the island, that American vessels could 

 not be i)ermitted to fill water, land empty barrels, salt, &c., unless a 

 s])ecial arrangement was made, whereby Eglehus chartered the Alice 

 M. Williams, thereby insuring to her the right to land such nuiterial as 

 that mentioned above, to fill water, to have free access to the harbors 

 of Iceland, and to fish within .'J miles of the land. It was not, however, 

 ])ermissible to laud any fish of any kind whatever, even if they were 

 to be taken on board of the vessel again. For the ])rivileges above 

 enumerated 400 crowns Avere charged, and, besides this, a duty had to 

 be paid on all salt that was landed ; though in every instance the salt 

 was again taken on board of the schooner and used on fish. 



The captains of all the schooners that went to Iceland were told that 

 halibut were most numerous inside of the ;j-mile limit, and this infor- 

 mation was doubtless given in good faith, as it is probable that the Ice- 

 landers seldom go more than 3 miles distant from the land in their oi)en 

 boats. The natives could therefore have little kiu:)wledge of the abund- 

 ance of fish farther out, except as they learned of it from the British 

 or French fishermen, who catch halibut oidy in small numbers on hand- 

 lines. As a matter of fact, however, the American schooners caught 

 nearly all of their fish from 5 to 25 miles distant from the land, none or 

 almost none inside of 3 miles, while the majority of the halibut were 

 taken outside of 12 to 15 miles from the coast. The ])rivilege which was 

 granted to fish inside the limit was, thereiore, practically of no value 

 to our vessels. 



It may be stated as explanatory of the above, that vessels going for 

 fares of flitched halibut are compelled to carry a large amount of salt to 

 cure their fish — often amounting to nearly enough to fill the hold — and 

 a considerable number of barrels, to hold the halibut fins, fresh water, 



* Captain Pendleton had as one of Lis crew a man who sjioke Dauisli and acted in 

 the capacity of au interpreter. 



