280 FISHES. 



Order 3. ANACANTHINI. 

 Division 1. ANACANTHINI GADOIDEL 



Family OADIDJE. 

 Gadus morrhua, L. Cod. 



One of the most important fish to the Orcadians. Cod-fishing is 

 here prosecuted until the end of May, the principal fishing- 

 grounds lying away to the west of the islands. At that time 

 we have seen great quantities of these, as well as other fish, 

 lying on the quay at Kirkwall ; but the sight, though inter- 

 esting, was not altogether a pleasant one, as, owing we suppose 

 to the depth from which the fish were taken, the intestines were 

 in most instances protruding from the mouth. 



In Low's time the cod-fishing seems to have been altogether 

 given up in the Orkneys, though, from his account, not from 

 lack of fish. Before this, however, such was not the case. 

 There were many stations that employed a number of boats and 

 men constantly, catching and curing these fish for the southern 

 markets. "Now," says Low, "all is sunk in indolence and 

 sloth, with but faint hopes of ever emerging from it." 



Low assigns no cause for this stagnation of the fish trade, 

 but the frequent wars of those times may have had something 

 to do with it, as the following extract from ShirefFs General 

 View of the Agriculture of the Orkney Islands, published in 1814, 

 may show : 



" During our war with France at the commencement of this 

 century, the fishing smacks, being much harassed by privateers 

 on the Dogger Bank, came to Orkney to prosecute the cod-fishing 

 there, and endeavoured to carry their fish alive in wells to the 

 London markets." 



Even large Cod come at times into very shallow water close 

 to the land, and we saw one caught by a lady near Strom- 

 ness that weighed over 30 Ibs. Near here, too, we have 

 seen Cod of from 15 to 16 Ibs. weight, while we were "cuddy" 

 fishing, following our hooked cuddies so close to the boat that, 

 had we only had an ordinary salmon gaff, we could easily have 



