XXI.-TJIE 118HERIKS OF ICELAND.^ 



J5y AVG. (iAinn;. 



The board ofdirectoivs of the Danisli l-isliciy Association had kindly 

 givcu its consent to njyvisitiiii^Mct'land duiin-- hist suninier Ibr the 

 purpose of examining tlielcchind sahnon lisherics; and the Assembly 

 of Icehmd {Altimj) furnished the necessary funds. My position as sec- 

 retary of the association of course made it my duty to take notice- of 

 everything;- pertainin*,^ to the fisheries, wherever it was possible during,- 

 my Journey, in order to repay the association in some mciisure for its 

 kindness in having the daily routine work of the secretary's om(;e at- 

 tended to during my absence. As my principal object, lM)\ve\er, w:is 

 the investigation of the salmon fisheries, and as therefore my trn vels in 

 Iceland took me away frohi the coast, 1 could not expect to'lnue much 

 chance to observe the sea fisheries, which form one of the principal 

 sources of income in Iceland, and in regard to which it has been said 

 that if properly managed they would yield as much income as the entire 

 revenue of the Danish butter and lard trade. I must confess that J 

 went to Iceland with the idea that all that could be seen of the Iceland 

 fisheries during a short stay would be comparatively well known, so 

 that in this respect I would scarcely be able to bring home any new in- 

 formation. I anj obliged to state that, both in respect to the fisheries 

 and nearly everything else concerning Iceland, I was greatly mistaken. 

 I had not been long in Iceland before it became clear to me that in Den- 

 mark we have a great many erroneous ideas concerning this island. We 

 generally imagine Iceland to be a disagreeable and poor country, where 

 it is hardly i)ossible to live with any degree of comfort. I ean assure' 

 my readers that this is a mistaken notion. It should be remembered 

 in what part of the globe Iceland is located, and that a vast distance 

 separates the Copenhagen Exchange from the Iceland markets. 1 think 

 that most people in Denmark know very little ^about the Iceland lish- 

 eries, their importance, and their future possibilities; which fisheries. 

 If properly developed, would greatly benefit not only Iceland but also 

 the mother country. It was not long, therefore, before I realized that 

 even a cursory examination of the Iceland fisheries would furnish addi- 

 tional important information to me. I therefore intend to give some 

 brief account of my experience. 



* "Mandskc FiaJcerier." From FiskerUidende, No. 50, Copenhagen, December 9, 1884. 

 Translated from the Danish liv IIkk.mav J^cobsox 



flJ ' , 301 



