178 



C. SKOTTSCERG 



Fig. 92. The village in Cumberland Bay, seen from the slope of Salsipuedes. 



'berg 21/4 1917- 



Photo C. Skotts- 



Masafuera got no supervisor, the management of the forests continued as before, 

 the chonta continued to be cut unlawfully — a common occupation during the 

 winter months, Weber says p. 116 — nothing was done for the fishing industry, 

 no steamer came and went to the benefit of the inhabitants. Life went on as before. 

 Let us return to the langosta. Ever since the days of the discovery of the 

 islands this magnificent crayfish had been appreciated as very good eating, and at 

 Anson's time the beaches literally swarmed with large-sized specimens. Xo in- 

 strument was needed to catch any amount in one or two feet of water. How 

 long this happy state of affairs lasted I do not know, nowadays the best catch 

 is made in depths from 40 to 80 meters. In spite of the value of this marine 

 product, which from time to time was shipped to the mainland, none of the 

 tenants had the means to organize the industry on a larger scale. A company 

 was formed in 1893, but even with a catch of 35 to 40 thousand annually and 

 exporting some 40000 tins of preserved tails, the business did not pay, and a 

 new company formed in 1900 also failed (see Guzman p. 209). In 1914 Messrs. 

 Recart y Doniez started their establishment. We had the very best opportunity 

 to watch the fishing from the catch of the sharks used as bait to handling the 

 langosts in the factory (figs. 88 — 91) and to the export of the living animals, in 

 the company of which we made our return voyage to Valparaiso onboard one of 

 the schooners. The stern is built as a well with free circulation of the water, and 



