312 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [4] 



1,500 cod furuish one barrel of livers. The haddock generally has a 

 larger liver than the cod. ^ 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



1. The Iceland fishermen use for the most part small boats, accom- 

 modating from 3 to 5 men, and generally fisli with long lines in thc^ 

 fiords. When not much bait is at hand, they fish also during favorable 

 weather, at a distance of from one-half to one mile from the shore, with 

 hand-lines. At Westmanerne larger boats are employed, having a 

 crew of 8 to 11 men. The fishing from this place is carried on, with 

 long-lines and hand-lines at a distance of from one-half mile to one mile 

 at sea. The people of Iceland also employ small sloops in the cod fish- 

 ery, generally oft" the coast, but to some extent, also, within the fiords. 

 They use hand-lines exclusively. 



2. The fishing in Iceland begins in the month of March with the so- 

 called spring or winter cod. It begins on the south coast at West- 

 manerne and off" Reykjavik, and is ])r()se('nte(l by the inhabitants of 

 these localities in boats, sloo])S, and smacks, but most of the fishing is 

 done by French fishermen. It continues to the beginning of M;iy. 

 Most of the fishermen thoreui)on go to the west coast, to Isafjord, lire- 

 debugten, Arnafjord, and Patrikfjord, where the fisliing, as a rule, is :it 

 its best in the months of ^lay, ,lune, and -Tuly ; continuing, howevci-, 

 through the whole year, except when bad weatlier and ice prevent. In 

 the middle of August and during the remainder of the autumn, when 

 the herring come into the fiords on the east coast, there is excellent 

 fishing in the fiords. So far as my infornmtion goes, the best fishing 

 places are Seydisfjord, Eskefjord, and Ofjord, on the north and e;ist 

 coasts, and on the west coast Isafjord and the fiords in the vicinity. 



3. The Iceland boat-fishermen consist, for the most part, of vessel - 

 owners who prosecute fishing with the help of servants hired by the 

 year. Some of the boat-owners cooperate and fish on equal shares, 

 with the exception of the foreman, who has a i)ercentage of the fish, 

 ranging, according to agreement, from 20 to 25 pounds in each sl-lppund 

 of dried fish. Again, some employ boatmen, usually by the day. Sloop- 

 fishermen, on the contrary, are engaged for a specified time and gen 

 erally receive half of the catch of fish, and all their expenses, but 

 sometunes only one-half of their expenses. The people live chiefiy ui)on 

 English l-jwx or bread, which is imported ; sometimes, also, they have 

 butter prepared from sheep's milk. They use, besides, a great rpnintity 

 of whiskey, which they nearly always have in their possession. Fi-nally, 

 they have coffee, which is a universal drink. 



4. The fishing boats of the Icelanders, according to my opinion, are 

 very unsafe and unreliable, since they are round-bowed and cranky, and 

 carry only a mast with a rude sail, Avhich is seldom useful in sailing 

 with a strong breeze. 



5. The imidement for the cod (isheiv is I he lonff-line similar to our 



