[5] THE ICELAND FISHERIES. 81 
and Nordland coast. The weather, especially during May, was very 
stormy and unfavorable, so that the fisheries were frequently inter- 
rupted. 
From May 28 to May 31, staid in the Isa Fiord, where we laid up the 
first batch of fish, to be prepared as “‘klip-fish.”. Continued hand-line 
fishing till June 26. June 26 and 27, staid in the Omundar Fiord, and 
June 28 to 30, the second batch of fish was laid up at Isa Fiord, where 
we had made an arrangement with a merchant to prepare our fish. 
Left July 1, and went, in a northerly direction, to Osterlandet to en- 
gage in the long-line fisheries, which are here carried on by a number 
of Feré fishermen. Fished on the way whenever there was a calm. 
Reached Reyder Fiord July 15, and commenced long-line fishing the same 
day. 
In order to avoid any misunderstanding, it must be stated that boat- 
fishing from a ship, as the central station, cannot be compared with the 
Icelander’s boat-fisheries from the shore. 
From July 15 to September 20 we fished with long lines in the mouth 
of the Reyder Fiord. Left Iceland September 24, touched at the Ferd 
Islands September 30, staid there till October 7, and arrived in Copen- 
hagen October 14. The total result of our five months’ fisheries was 
about 52,000 codfish, which were sold, either salted or prepared in other 
ways, for 11,700 crowns ($3,135.60). This year we only salted codfish, 
and did not prepare any other fish. The net revenue from our expedi- 
tion was about 2,500 crowns ($670), and as my vessel represented a 
capital of about 10,000 crowns ($2,680), this would be about 25 per cent. 
on the capital invested ; subtracting 10 per cent. for amortization, this 
would leave a net surplus of 15 per cent. for the first year; and this, in 
spite of the circumstances that the sailing of our vessel was consider- 
ably delayed by the exceptionally severe winter, that she took no cargo, 
and that the fishermen had been engaged under peculiarly unfavorable 
conditions. 
By way of comparison,-I will mention that a schooner from Isa Fiord 
with a crew of 18 men realized a net surplus of over 3,000 crowns ($304) 
during fisheries which only extended over a period of 25 months. 
The individual earnings of each man on my vessel averaged 50 crowns 
($13.40) per month. If we compare the result of my expedition with the 
above-mentioned report from Akranes, it will be seen that 350 men in 2$ 
months, 400 men in 14 months, or, which would be the same, 400 men in 
34 months, have during the present year, with 87 boats, only caught 
250,000 fish of all kinds, with a total value of 50,000 crowns ($13,400). 
The total income of every participant (not counting off the repairing, 
&e., of boats and apparatus) would, therefore, only be about 35 crowns 
($9.38) per month, without board and lodging, whilst on my vessel every 
man on an average earned 50 crowns ($13.40) per month, besides being: 
found. 
If, however, we distribute the above-mentioned 400 men over 26 sea- 
going vessels with a crew of 15 men each, and two such vessels with a 
S. Mis. 29-———6 
