[19] THE FINMARK CAPELAN-FISHERIES. 185 
not been any change for the worse in the sanitary condition of the town 
since the beginning of the whale-fisheries. 
(9.) The idea has al8o been advanced that the réfase from the cap- 
tured whales might fill the bottom of the sea with impurities to such an 
extent as to make it unfit for the development of the roe of the capelan. 
This idea, however, does not rest on any actual observation, but is merely 
a supposition. Ihave made this thesubjectof mostcareful and thorough 
investigation, the result of which by no means corroborates that sup- 
position. Immediately on my arrival at Vadsoe, therefore, prior to the 
beginning of this year’s whale-fisheries, | made a careful examination of 
the sound, both near the town and near Foyn’s establishment. I found 
nothing of a peculiar character, except that close to the above-men- 
tioned establishment there was an unusual quantity of those small green 
alg which are used a good deal to keep the water in aquaria in a fresh 
condition. In the deep cavities between the stones there was a thin 
layer of fine mud; otherwise the bottom everywhere consisted of pure 
white sand, which in some places was coarser than in others. After the 
whale-fisheries had been going on for some time I again examined the 
sound on different occasions. Near Foyn’s establishment stinking mud 
had, in some places, accumulated on the sand, and this mud was evidently 
composed of refuse-matter from the slaughtered whales; but at a very 
‘short distance from the shore this mud began to disappear, and farther 
out in the sound the bottom was exactly of the same character as when 
I first examined it, and I could not discover the slightest impurities. I 
even go so far as to say that, in spite of the whale-fisheries, the harbor 
of Vadsoe has a cleaner bottom than most other harbors on the coast of 
Finmark. Both at Vardoe and at Hammerfest and many other places 
I have on former occasions examined the nature of the bottom, and have 
invariably found a more or less extensive layer of dark mud covering 
the sand, composed principally of fish-refuse and other decayed organic 
matter. The Vadsoe harbor, however, is remarkably free from this mud. 
This seems to be owing to the steady and often very strong current 
which flows through the sound, and which does not allow any organic 
substances floating in the water to sink to the bottom. Farther out not 
the slightest trace of impurity can be discovered on the bottom of the 
fiord. As a general rule the upper layer is sand, then comes rock with 
a rich algve-vegetation, and below this a clay bottom. Nothing anom- 
alous could be observed in the composition of this clay; and both it 
and the sandy and rocky bottom were swarming with different aquatic 
animals which seemed to thrive remarkably well. Although I am not 
able to report any direct observations on the development of the cape- 
lan-roe in these regions, for the simple reason that this year the cape- 
lan did not spawn in the Varanger-fiord, I feel convinced that the 
nature of the bottom will not prevent the capelan from spawning either 
here or anywhere else. It is true that the entrails of the whales, after 
having floated in the water for some time, finally sink to the bottom; 
