50 TKAVEL, ADVENTUKE, AND SPORT. 



stant communication with his Government, declared 

 his belief that the time was not far distant when the 

 whole of the district mentioned would be Eussian. 

 The acquisition of this territory would be of great 

 value to Russia, who has not a single open or useful 

 naval station in all its dominions ; while Vardoe, or 

 even Vadsoe, though now but insignificant fishing 

 towns, could easily be metamorphosed into valuable 

 ports, from which, at all times and seasons, fleets and 

 armies might be freely directed to any quarter. 

 Besides the political reasons, there are also power- 

 ful economical grounds to show that the district 

 might be and with reason coveted by Russia. 

 With the northern subjects of the Czar fish is a 

 staple article of food, especially during the long 

 winter months. The fisheries commence about the 

 end of March, and last all through April and May 

 into June, and during these three months at least ten 

 millions of cod-fish are taken and dried. To these 

 fisheries swarms of Russians flock from Kola, some 

 even from Onega, and are hired at nominal prices to 

 assist in cutting up and assorting the fish. They 

 obtain a wage of about 20s. a-month with free lodg- 

 ing, and as much fish as they like to eat Of this 

 wage they spend nothing during their sojourn in 

 Norway, and yet are able to take home one or more 

 barrels of fish with them to their homes ; and on this 

 and on their accumulated savings they and their 

 drag through the winter. Without doubt 



