60 VIKINGS OF TO-DAY 



She passes it to a man "the splitter." He, with 

 great dexterity, cuts out the back-bone and flings 

 the flesh into a tub of water for the "washer." I 

 have timed a man split thirteen fish in one minute. 

 It takes the tyro nearer thirteen minutes to split one 

 well. The offal is thrown through a hole in the 

 floor into the sea below, where every variety of 

 scavenger fish congregates. In Norway, and by 

 Messrs. Munn of Newfoundland, the skins and bones 

 are made into a splendid glue, w T hi1e the rest of the 

 offal is preserved for fish manure. The washed fish 

 is next laid in pile and salted. The " salter " is 

 also a skilled mechanic. It is easy to undersalt and 

 easy to " saltburn," or oversalt, whereby much 

 valuable salt is wasted. This salt comes all the 

 way from Cadiz by the same vessels that take the 

 fish away. Next the fish is spread in the sun. A 

 fine day is waited for, and all hands turn to. Many 

 a slip exists between the cup and the lip, however. 

 If the fish has lain too long, it will be sodden, and 

 go grey or dun. If the sun is too hot, it will be sun- 

 burnt. If rain comes, and it is wet and dry again, 

 too often it will be injured. It must be turned and 

 returned. At last it is gathered up into circular 

 "piles," back up, and tail to the centre. These 

 piles are covered over with birch rinds, and a few 

 stones placed on the top to keep the whole together 

 till it is time to ship them away. They are weighed 

 into the ship, two quintals at a time, a "culler" 

 looking over them as they pass in and classifying 



