114 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [16] 
the starting-point of the line at Uddevalla, where connection should be 
made with the railroad system of the country; and that the above-men- 
tioned harbors, as will be seen from the Coast Survey maps, possess in the 
highest degree all those advantages which are required. Nor is there 
any outer harbor on the central coast of Bohus-lin to which a railroad 
might be constructed, which, in point of space, depth, accessiblility, &c., 
could compete with them (with the possible exception of Krdaksunds har- 
bor, in the western district of Orost, which, however, is farther from Udde- 
valla. Both harbors being desirable, mere excellence cannot decide which 
of the two shall be chosen. The harbor of Hllés, which is one of the most 
spacious harbors in the kingdom, offers special advantages, because if 
the railroad terminates there it would not only become of great impor- 
tance in a military point of view in connection with our system of coast 
defenses, but it would also get all the local trade of the populous and 
fertile island of Orost. The two above-mentioned harbors are centrally 
located both as regards the middle portion of the coast of Bohus-lan, 
and the entire coast of the province. They are surrounded by the most 
important fishing stations of the province, and are located near a por- 
tion of the sea which for seven centuries has during the herring period 
been justly considered as one of the most important fishing waters. 
They are particularly adapted to act as outer harbors for a great por- 
tion of central Sweden, both for the import and export trade. In yiew 
of the fact that the watering places on the coast of Bohus-lin are annu- 
ally visited by a large number of people, and that many steamships ply 
along this coast, the connecting of one of these outer harbors with the 
railroad system of the country will prove another inestimable advantage. 
None of the other lines of railroad which have been proposed offer any 
such advantages, both as regards the sea fisheries and navigation and 
trade, as a line ending either at Ellés or Piskebdckskil, and we must re- 
peat it, that the construction of such a line is absolutely necessary if the sea 
Jisheries on the middle portion of the Bohus-lin coast are to reach the high- 
est possible degree of profitableness. 
As regards other measures tending to encourage the herring industry 
we must mention, in conclusion, the great necessity for some sort of 
manual giving all the different methods of preparing herring. Many 
a person is afraid to go into the herring industry, simply because he 
fears that his ignorance of suitable methods of preparing herring will 
cause losses, and in the light of the experience of the year 1878 such a 
fear is not entirely unfounded. Although the compiling and publish- 
ing of such a manual may be attended with many difficulties, the idea 
ought certainly to be carried out as soon as possible. The official 
reports of our consuls in foreign countries, and extracts from the reports 
of other governments, would furnish much valuable material. Special 
attention should be paid to everything in such reports which is calculated 
to throw light on the reasons why many of our competitors succeed in 
keeping Swedish herring out of foreign markets. Reports on the her- 
