IIO RUSSIAN 



many dozens of such establishments on the mouth of the Volga, but 

 the largest in the world is on the Oural. It is known by the name 

 of the "divine fishery." The value of the produce of this fishery 

 cannot be less than 500,000 silver roubles (about ,87,500) a year. 

 There are days in April when they catch 4,000 worth of fish. It 

 might be easy to obtain exact statistics of these establishments if the 

 distrust of the tenants, farmers, was not so great. As the Russian 

 laws prevent the sea and lakes being private property these stations 

 are only found at the mouths of rivers. Parts of the Caspian Sea 

 and Sea of Azov belong to the Cossack corporations. Some of these 

 have fixed imposts on the produce of these fisheries. This enables 

 us to find out the amount of their produce, but in other parts it is 

 impossible, especially when they are worked by small fishermen with- 

 out much means. We may, however, calculate the value of the fish- 

 eries of Russia in Europe at not less than .'3,500,000 annually. 

 The Caspian Sea, with th,: lower parts of the Vol^a, Furel, Oura!, 

 and Lerek, at about ,1,837, 500 ; the &ea of Azov at about 700 000; 

 the Baltic at 218,750 ; the White- Sea at 175,000 ; and the Black 

 Sea at 105,000. The produce of the five seas which bathe the 

 coasts of Russia in Europe may be valued at 2,975.000 annually. 

 The value of the fisheries in the interior of Russia, the lakes and 

 upper parts of the rivers, are not certain, but are probably not less 

 than 437,500 annually. Lake of Peypous 125,000 tons of dried 

 sprats or smelts, with other fish, valued at 105,000 ; Lake Kou- 

 binskoie, in Voligda, at 26,250 ; Lakes Ladoga, Onega, &c,, at 

 262,500 ; and Volga and its affluents about 70,000. It is very 

 difficult to make an account of the quantity of fish, owing to the dif- 

 ference in the measurements or weights used. The different pro- 

 ducts of the sturgeon, caviat, &c,, are sold at 10s. per 40 Ibs. ; other 

 fish 5s. per 40 Ibs. The total quantity may be estimated at25,000,000 

 pouds (of 40 Ibs. each), or a thousand millions of pounds (livres), 

 not couutiug what is consumed in the country by 100,010 fishermen 

 and their families. We know of but one work which enables us to 

 make a comparison of our fisheries, namely, " Researches in Natural 

 History, on the Coast of France," by M. M. Audin and Milne Ed- 

 wards. According to these writers, the quantity of cod and its 

 products caught in the waters of Newfoundland by France is 

 1,375,000 pouds, which are worth 1,885,000 roubles, or about 

 314,000. English fisheries in Newfoundland 2,700,000 pouds, 

 about 108 millions of pounds. The produce of the American fish- 

 eries is not given, but they cannot be less than the English 108 

 millions of Ibs. weight. The produce of the Newfoundland fisheries, 

 including the coasts of Labrador, belonging to these three nations 

 must therefore be 6,800,000 pouds, at a value of 37 millions francs, 

 or 1,480,000. The value of this fishery is therefore less than that 

 of the Caspian Sea. In this work the French fisheries are estimated 

 as worth 13,500,000 francs, or 520,000. The produce of the Nor- 

 wegian fisheries in herrings and cod ouly, are, according to infor- 



