THE FINWHALE FISHERY OF 1885. 135 
of a word in Russian has the equivalent force of the English 
Ye”; the reduplication of the “r’” in Ara seems somewhat 
arbitrary, but the single letter is possibly the more correct, and 
the addition of ‘‘Guba,”’= Fjord or Gulf, is necessary, as the 
omission is more meaningless than talking of ‘ Forth” or 
“Pentland,” &c., without the word “ Firth” would be, as the 
latter are named from some place on the land; but Ara is, 
I believe, simply the name of that Fjord. 
It will be noticed that nearly all the companies have given 
up employing tug-steamers since the previous year. 
In the following table of the whaling companies and their 
takes in 1885, the new names, whether of companies, managers, 
or ships, are in italics; I believe the numbers of Whales here 
given to be very nearly exact, within half a dozen probably. A 
dead Humpback drifted ashore on Kildin Island (Murman coast) 
early in September ; it was flensed on the spot by a colonist, and 
the oil was subsequently sold to Yeretiki. I believe this example 
is not included in the return thence; and, on the other hand, 
Whales killed at a distance from the factory to which the steamer 
belongs are occasionally sold to the nearest factory, and may 
possibly appear in the totals of both establishments. There 
may possibly be other sources of slight error. 
There is said to be a third company now established 
on Séréen, at Aker Fjord; manager, Sérensen ; port of register, 
Arendal; with one vessel, the ‘Neptun’; but, as I have not 
succeeded in learning any particulars except the popular report 
that the take had been nil, I have not included it in the table. 
I have to express my indebtedness to my friend Prof. Collett, 
who had included a similar (but rather less complete) table in 
the MS. of his paper before mentioned, given him by Captain 
Sérensen, but at once courteously withdrew it on finding that I 
had a sort of ‘‘prior claim,” having arranged it myself, and 
ascertained the majority of the figures. I have also to thank 
Capt. Sérensen for supplying me with many of the items; and 
several of the other resident managers as well, some of whose 
names are mentioned in the preceding pages. 
