[7] THE FISHEEIES OP ICELAND. 307 



tlie whole battle was, so to speak, to be won by a single stroke, whereas 

 it certainly requires considerable time to start an enterprise like this. 

 Such a matter should be taken up slowly and deliberately. In this 

 manner some Danish fisheries have already been started near Iceland, 

 and gradually a considerable number of vessels visit Iceland every year, 

 and the fisheries carried on by them have on the whole paid well. I do 

 .not desire to pass any criticism on these efforts, but I must say that in 

 fitting out a vessel for the Iceland fisheries it is of greater importance 

 to engage the right kind of men than to haggle about the wages, its 

 some of the men who have engaged themselves on Iceland fishing ves- 

 sels have not been sailors, much less fishermen. In view of the rich 

 hauls which may be made in Iceland waters the object is not to save 

 something on the men's wages, but to secure experienced and active 

 fishermen, on whom, after all, it will depend what the results of the 

 fisheries will be. It is somewhat of a hardship to go out with an Ice- 

 land cod or shark vessel; the crew should, therefore, be treated well. 

 A poor crew will also get poor treatment. The crews of some of these 

 vessels are composed of all sorts of people, some of whom know very 

 little about fishing. Vessels having competent crews invariably bring 

 home the most fish, and the reverse is the case with those vessels which 

 have poor crews. 

 We have heard so many complaints that the Danish fishermen, as a 

 i rule, live in very poor circumstances. Unfortunately this is but too true, 

 ; for it is well known that a fisherman's family, whose principal source of 

 ' income is fishing in Danish waters, earns on an average only from $134 

 I to $100 i)er annum, and even less in some parts of the country. As long 

 \ as we have no good harbors on the west coast of Jutland, and as long 

 ' as it is difficult to find a nmrket for the fish caught on that coast, it 

 [seems perfectly proper to encourage our young fishermen to go to Ice- 

 I land, and to recommend our sailors, who frequently cannot find anything 

 ] to do at home, to seek employment in the Iceland fisheries, where there 

 is a constant demand for skilled sailors. 



' More remains to be done for the Iceland fisheries than for the Danish 

 ] fisheries. In the first place, it should be remembered that many Ice- 

 land fishermen have to solve a twofold problem: They are to furnish 

 I food for themselves and for the population of Iceland, and they are at 

 jthe same time to prepare an article for which by bartering they can 

 I obtain what they need. Nor should it be forgot that many a farmer 

 j turns fisherman during a ])art of the year, while during the remainder 

 jof the year he gives his whole attention to farming. All these causes 

 I combine to render the Iceland fisheries, as carried on by the Icelanders 

 'themselves, comparatively unprofitable, simply because they are not 

 ! properly developed. The reason why the Iceland sea fisheries do not 

 iflourish is that labor is scarce. The Icelanders begin to emigrate ; they 

 'should rather encourage immigration to their country. The Icelanders 

 arc justly displeased to see foreigners come to their shores, earn con- 



