[5] THE HALIBUT FISHERY—DAVIS’ STRAIT. 193 
B.—FISHING GROUNDS. 
3.—LOCATION AND CHARACTER. 
The fishing banks are fifteen to forty miles from the coast and, if we 
can rely upon the Danish charts, extend from Disko Bay to within 3° 
of Cape Farewell; for these charts give soundings all along the coast 
between these two points. Extensive as the banks may be, only a small 
part of them, the part about Holsteinborg and Cape Amalia, has been 
tried by American fishermen. That the fish are to be found throughout 
their whole extent is more than probable; for the species is identical 
with that taken on the Grand Banks, and we would naturally infer it 
would be found inall favorable situations within the limits of its dis- 
tribution. It is also reported that Capt. Rasmus Madson, commonly 
known as “Captain Hamilton,” who has been to Greenland several 
times, set his trawls for these fish farther to the south (probably off of 
Godthaab) and found them very abundant, but was unable to secure 
many on account of the numerous ground-sharks playing the mischief 
with his trawls. 
At Cape Amalia are the favorite fishing-grounds of the natives, and 
a few of the Gloucester vessels have visited them, but, as the fishing 
there is mostly by anchoripvg in the harbor and sending the dories a dis-., 
tance of two or three miles, this place does not offer many inducements 
to our fishermen. The best luck has attended the vessels fishing off 
and to the south of Holsteinborg. 
Previous to 1872 the fishing-grounds were 4 or 5 miles off Holstein- 
borg. That year, however, some of the fleet went 30 miles off this 
settlement, and since that time most of the fishing has been done on 
this latter ground. 
In 1879, the fishing in July was on this ground, but in August better 
fishing was secured on a new ground 20 miles south of this. In 1881 
the best fishing was found in the vicinity of Victori Island, some 15 
_ miles from shore, in water from 14 to 28 fathoms deep. 
Between the old ground off Holsteinborg and Victori ground there is 
a gully over 150 fathoms deep and 15 or 20 miles wide, and there is 
probably another gully south of Victori ground. 
The depth of water on the banks is from 15 to 90 fathoms and, on 
this account, the fishing is much easier than in the deep water of the 
Grand Banks. At the inner edge the banks have a sudden slope, leav- 
ing a long submarine valley, the depth of which I did not ascertain, 
between them and the mainland. The surface of the banks is varied, 
though generally rocky, with here and there sandy and clayey spots. 
The character of the fauna varies considerably and often abruptly in 
places a little distance apart, as the following extract from my diary of 
the 25th of July will show: ‘The fish caught to-day and two preceding 
S. Mis. 29 13 
