CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING -FISHERY, 301 



fathoms in length ; they are fastened to the shore, and 

 made to surround a large body of herrings as previously 

 described. This year, one fisherman, with a net of about 

 150 fathoms in length, surrounded such a large quantity 

 that he sold the whole for 25,000 dollars, about L.5000 ; 

 but the net was so weak that he was obliged to get a 

 neighbour to place another net outside, to whom he had 

 to give a moiety of the quantity, and had to pay for several 

 vessels or boats to take in the herrings ; this took place 

 at Aggerhavn. 



The herrings this year were not so large as tliose of 

 the five previous years. The herrings then fished were 

 about 12 to 13 inches in length, and about the size of 

 Class 4, whereas, in 1857, they were only of the size of 

 Class 5 ; but the shoals frequently alternate. Sometimes 

 the size is about No. 4, but these are succeeded for a 

 short time by a smaller variety, which are in a short time 

 succeeded again by a larger. The fishery having ended 

 about the fourteenth day off Skudesnees, the boats pro- 

 ceeded farther north to Horegesund, where there was rather 

 an abundant fishing ; and thereafter to Esppevser, a small 

 island off the coast ; and the fishing terminated at Brauda- 

 sund, so far as the soutli fishing goes. Brandasund is 

 about four miles south of Bergen ; and this fishery ends 

 about the 20th or 25th February, when the herring shoals 

 on this coast disappear. About 200,000 barrels were taken 

 in this fishery. 



The north winter fishery begins about the end of Jan- 

 uary at Kinoer, which includes a number of islands twenty- 

 eight miles north of Bergen, and the fishery lasts to the 

 end of February. The herrings caught are about 13 inches 

 in length, and about Class 4 ; about 1000 boats arc engaged 

 in this fishery, and the quantity taken about 180,000 barrels. 



