1029 



BERGEN. 



BERGEN. 



1030 



and the foreign trade. Of the first, that with the northern provinces 

 of Norway, called Nordlandine, is the most important. These pro- 

 vinces receive from Bergen the greater part both of the necessaries 

 and the luxuries of life. In return, Bergen receives from them 

 large quantities of fish, herrings, roes, fish-oil, tallow, skins, 

 feathers, Ac., all of which articles are brought by the Nordlandmen 

 themselves in their own vessels to Bergen. They come to Bergen 

 twice a year with their own yachts, the first time from the middle of 

 May to the end of June, and a second time from the middle of August 

 to the middle of September. The yachts are differently constructed 

 from other vessels. In respect to their tonnage they are equal to very 

 large vessels ; but notwithstanding their long and perilous navigation 

 they are all open and clinker-built. They stow in general from 3000 

 to 6000 voger of fish (a vog = about 40 Ibs.), but there are some which 

 can stow 10,000 voger. At the stem they have a high and spacious 

 cabin ; the bow is likewise very high, and they have no bowsprit. 

 Between the cabin and the bows the vessels are very wide, but not very 

 high ; when they are loading, a number of long poles are placed on both 

 sides, against which boards are laid in a horizontal position. Between 

 this feuci' the cargo is stowed, which then rises from six to eight 

 yards above the water, although the sides of the vessel are hardly 

 two feet above the sea. This description of vessels may be distin- 

 guished from others by their having two large black squares in the 

 upper cornera of the sail, the origin of which custom is not known. 

 Each yacht has a crew of eight, ten, or twelve, according to her size. 

 Although the navigation is long and dangerous for open and heavy- 

 laden vessels, they are very seldom wrecked or lost : they sail only 

 when they have fair wind along the coast ; when it is contrary they 

 take in sail and come to anchor. 



The fishing in Nordlandine, which gives rise to the chief part of 

 the coasting-trade with Bergen, is of two kinds, the winter and the 

 summer fishing, of which the former is the more important. The 

 fish chiefly taken is the large cod-fish, called in Norwegian ' skrei ' (A ccttua 

 i:ulyarii), which is found in immense quantities round the 

 ^ of Lofoden (68 30' N. lat.). In the beginning of February 

 the fish arrive in large shoals (fiskebjerg, ' mountains of fish ') in layers 

 one over the other, and several yards in thickness. They are found 

 by means of a lead, and the shoals are so dense that it is with some 

 difficulty that the lead is sunk through them. Sometimes the fish 

 come so near the land that one end of the net is fastened on shore. 

 At the end of March or the beginning of April the fish leave the banks 

 and return to the ocean. 



To this fishing the peasantry come from the whole of Nordland 

 and Finmarken in their boats and yachts ; and many other vessels 

 from Bergen, Trondhjem, and the towns in Nordlandine, in order to 

 :v ti.ih, which they afterwards prepare as stockfish, and roes. 

 From Helgoland, and that part of the district of Salten to the south 

 of Foldtmfjord, the fishermen come to Lofoden in yachts ; those from 

 the northern and nearer districts come only in boats. The fishermen 

 divide themselves into baadlaug, or boat-guilds, who fish in common 

 and divide the produce according to certain regulations. A boat-guild 

 consists of two boats, each with ten oars and five men. Every twenty 

 or thirty of these boat-guilds have a yacht in common. During the 

 fishing the yacht remains at the fishery, and is used as a sort of maga- 

 zine by the fishermen. When the fishing is ended the livers and roes 

 are salted down in barrels and put on board the yachts. On the 

 return of the yacht to the harbour from which it is freighted, the 

 liver is unloaded, boiled, and converted into oiL It is then reshipped, 

 together with the prepared fish that may chance to have remained 

 from the former year; after which the yacht proceeds to Bergen. 

 The yacht on its return enters its harbour, takes on board the empty 

 liver-barrels, fishing-implements, &c. required for the winter fishing, 

 and sails to Lofoden, where the dried rund-fish is embarked and car- 

 ried to Bergen ; and on returning from this voyage the task of the 

 fishermen is finished for that year. The produce of the fishing is 

 divided for each boat-guild into eleven parts, of which every man 

 receives one ; the eleventh part is divided between the owners of the 

 yacht and the proprietors of the boats. The arrangements connected 

 with the fishing, and the preparing and marketing of the produce, are 

 all conducted under strict regulations, and are matters of high import- 

 the Norwegians. 



When the fishing-season at Lofoden is over, the place becomes as 

 desolate as it was before animated ; but when the fish is to be taken 

 down it becomes lively again. This period, as appointed by law, 

 commences on the 12th of June, previous to which it is prohibited 

 i- penalty of fines to remove the fish. Considering the scarcity 

 of money amongst a people whose manner of life is so simple and 

 primitive as that of the Norwegian peasantry, the capital embarked 

 by them in the fisheries, amounting to about a million dollars, must 

 appear very considerable. 



Although the fishing at Lofoden is productive, the net income of 

 each individual is not very considerable, partly in consequence of the 

 number of fishermen and partly owing to the damage which the 

 expensive utensils suffer from storms and other contingencies. The 

 income of each man has been estimated at about 48 dollars on 

 an average ; from which, deducting 27 dollars for expenses, the 

 average net profit for each will be 21 dollars, or about 32. 1U. 

 sterling. 



It may be remarked that the produce of the fishing depends much 

 on good boats and utensils, as well as on experienced and orderly 

 fishermen. As they are generally obliged to bring their fish to Bergen 

 or Trondhjem, they may chance to lose the whole or to have the 

 greater part of it damaged by bad weather. 



Although the Nordlandman could take his produce to towns much 

 nearer to the fishing-ground than Bergen, such as Trondhjem, 

 Christiansand, and Molde, yet it answers his purpose better to 

 proceed to Bergen, a distance of about 500 miles ; for then he obtains 

 not only a sale for his produce, but also a market where there is 

 sufficient competition among the buyers to prevent a depression in 

 prices, and where he can at the cheapest rate be provided with the 

 articles which he requires. In exchange- for their fish, the Nordland- 

 men purchase in Bergen com, meal, oaken barrels, coffee, sugar, and 

 different articles of necessity or luxury. 



Every Nordlandman who brings his produce to Bergen has 

 generally a certain merchant there who buys it of him, and supplies 

 him in return with such articles as he may require, or with ready 

 money. Most commonly the merchant remains his creditor, and has 

 then a claim on the produce of the following year's fishing. Thus 

 the Nordlandmen are continually in debt to the merchants of 

 Bergen, though not so much now as formerly. That the facility of 

 obtaining credit should incline the men to luxuries equally dangerous 

 to their morals and unfavourable to economy is a very natural 

 consequence. 



The annual arrival at Bergen of the fishing vessels from Nordland 

 occasions extraordinary life in the port and on the quays ; the harbour 

 is often crowded with from 600 to 700 vessels of 70 to 200 tons 

 burden, besides larger foreign vessels waiting to receive their cargoes 

 from them. Frequently the whole night is employed in transporting, 

 packing, and preparing goods, so that this season may be considered 

 as a continual fair. 



The trade of Bergen with the other parts of Norway is by no means 

 so important as that with Nordland. From the interior of the 

 country Bergen receives iron manufactures, glass, tiles, &c. ; from the 

 towns in the diocese of Trondhjem, some copper, with millstones 

 and grindstones. 



Of foreign trade that with the Baltic is very considerable. 

 Bergen exports thither large quantities of fish and skins ; receiving 

 in return hemp, glue, hops, canvass, linen, &c. The trade with 

 Denmark is extensive, but is for the most part carried on in Danish 

 vessels, which bring corn, pork, and other provisions. From 

 Hamburg, Bergen is largely supplied with merceries, cloth, cotton 

 goods, and colonial articles of every description, which far exceed 

 the value of Norwegian produce exported to Hamburg. There is a 

 considerable trade carried on with Holland: the Dutch import 

 herrings to a large amount, dyes, drugs, linseed-oil, cheese, paper, 

 and files, the value of which greatly exceeds that of the articles 

 which they take in return. With England the trade is of less 

 importance than formerly ; coals, cloth, and manufactured goods are 

 received in exchange for fish, lobsters, tallow, and skins. Sweden 

 supplies Bergen in her own vessels with iron, nails, vitriol, alum, and 

 staves, taking in return fish, particularly what is called the spring- 

 herring. From France Bergen imports salt, wines, brandy, colonial 

 articles, &c., to a considerable amount, and sends thither large quanti- 

 ties of fish, oil, salted roes for the sardine fishing, and planks : this 

 trade is carried on chiefly in native vessels. Bergen has considerable 

 trade in the Mediterranean. The imports consist of salt, sweet-oil, 

 wines, and fruits ; the exports of large quantities of dry-fish and 

 klip-fish, of which there is a very considerable consumption in 

 Catholic countries during the fasts. 



Bergen exports annually rund- or stock-fish, or dried cod to the value 

 of about 2,000,000 dollars. The herring-fisheries of Bergen yield about 

 450,000 barrels a year. The total exports from Bergen in 1849 were 

 562,235 voger of dried-fish; 126,690 voger of salt-fish; 306,037 

 barrels of herrings; 19,107 Ibs. offish-roes; 39,189 casks of white 

 and brown train-oil. The imports were 183,130 casks of salt; 

 130,073 barrels of rye; 240.035 barrels of barley. There is regular 

 communication with Christiania and other Norwegian ports by 

 steam-vessels. 



Bergen has been several times visited by great calamities : in the 

 years 1348 and 1350 the black pestilence, which was brought thither 

 by an English vessel, carried off the greater part of the population. 

 At various dates, in the years 1618, 1629, and 1637, the plague 

 destroyed about 3000 of the inhabitants each time. Bergen has also 

 frequently suflered .by fire, of which two instances may be named- 

 one which occurred in 1488, by which the greater part of the town, 

 including 11 parish churches, was destroyed; and one that happened 

 on the 19th of May 1702, whereby nearly the whole town was agaiii 

 reduced to ashes. 



The town is the residence of the high bailiff and the bishop of the 

 diocese. It is likewise the seat of a tribunal of second instance. 

 There are five churches in the town, of which the cathedral is the 

 most considerable. The German church, dedicated to St. Mary, is 

 the oldest of the places of worship in the town. It has two towers. 

 The altar-piece, which is of considerable antiquity, is elaborately 

 carved. The font is in the form of a flying angel, carved, the size of 

 life, and coloured, holding the basin in the extended hands. The 



