THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 209 



fish ; but I would prefer :i live fish. I am pretty sure, however, that these fish are 

 quite ready to be saved the trouble of takiug their prey. It is on precisely the same 

 principle that bait-fish, such as capeliu and herring, are placed on books and cast over" 

 board to catch the same fish, which follow and eat them in the natural way. I think 

 this may be inferred from that. 



Q. You have something to do with the Annual Record of Science and Industry, I 

 believe ? — A. Something — yes. 



Q. Do you agree with the language used in an article contained on page 473 of this 

 journal for 1872?— A. I did not write that, but I published it. 



Q. Have you in any article stated that you dissent from it ? — A. No. It is not my 

 business to do so. That article merely reflects the opinion of the writer. I would be 

 very sorry to believe one-half of what I publish in that periodical; but it expresses 

 the progress of belief and science, and I take it accordingly. 



Q. It is a matter of speculation whether dead fish are eaten, as you say, by preda- 

 ceous fishes; this is mere theory? — A. I have no doubt that they are so eaten. 

 By Mr. Whiteway : 



Q. You have stated that the largest quantity of codfish taken in the shortest possi- 

 ble time was in the vicinity of the Lofoden Islands ? — A. Yes. 



Q. You said that something like 25,000,000 were taken by 12,000 people ? — A. Yes. 



Q. In a very short time — in the course of three months ? — A. Yes ; and in a very 

 small space. 



Q. Where did you get your statistics from ? — A. From a report of the'Norwegian 

 Government. 



Q. For what year? — A. 1868, I think. 



Q. Whose report was it? — A. It is an extremely hard jaw-breaking title ; it is an 

 abstract, prepared by Hermann Baars, of Bergen, Norway. It was an article prepared 

 by him for presentation at the Paris Exhibition. 



Q. Yon have not seen reports published since that time ? — A. Oh, yes ; 1 have them 

 much later. 



Q. Did these later statistics correspond with the former as regards the quantity .'— 

 A. I know that the capture of cod in Lofoden Islands in 187G amounted to 21,000,000 

 or 22,000,000; I have the figures here. 



Q. Are you aware what quantity of codfish is caught on the coast of Newfound- 

 land? — A. No. I have been earnestly trying to get the statistics of Newfoundland in 

 this respect, but I have not been able to obtain tbem as yet. I hope you will send 

 them to me. 



Q. You are not aware whether it is an inshore or deep-sea fishery on that island? — 

 A. No. I know nothing about it. 



Q. You say that fish are dried aud used as food for cattle in these islands and in 

 Norway ? — A. Yes. 



Q. What sort of cattle use it ? — A. Horses, oxen, and cows ; they eat it with great 

 avidity. 



Q. What portion do they make use of ?— A. Any part, but more generally the heads, 

 which are offal ; they make most admirable nutriment. 



Q. Yon say that a great many nations dress very largely in the skins of cod and 

 salmon? — A. Yes. 



Q. Will you kindly tell me what nations these are?— A. They are Tchuktchi, the 

 Aleutian Islanders, the Norton Sound Esquimaux, other natives of Alaska, and a few 

 others. 



Q. You say, further, that the most extensive resorts of cod are the Grand Bank and 

 George's Bank; can you tell me the quantity of fish taken on these banks?— A. No; 

 I have not made any investigation or tabulation in this regard. 



Q. Then you really base that opinion upon no data ? — A. I merely base it on my 

 general impression on that subject. I merely speak of these as being the most prom- 

 •neut particular banks and localities which the cod frequent. In speaking of the 

 S. Mis. 00 14 



