IX.-SVEND FOYN'S WHALING ESTABLISHMENT/ 



In the remote northeastern part of our continent, where the White 

 Sea and the Polar Sea meet, lies Vadsoe, a miserable little town, with 

 about 1,800 inhabitants, scarcely one-half of whom are civilized Eu- 

 ropeans, for upwards of 900 are Laplanders and Finns. The town is 

 divided into twt) distinct parts, according to the character of the popu- 

 lation. It extends for a considerable distance along the coast, and 

 one part consists of dark log-houses covered with turf, such as are fre- 

 quently seen beyond the arctic circle, while the part inhabited by the 

 Europeans is built up more closely and has a more cheerful look. In 

 strolling through the streets and alleys of Vadsoe we meet with many 

 strange and characteristic figures. Eussians, Finns, Laplanders, and 

 Norwegians mingle in the streets ; and this mixture of different nation- 

 ahties gives a peculiar character to the little town. Here is the small 

 Laplander in his gaudy costume and his soft, cat-like walk. The Eus- 

 sian is generally dirty and seedy in his appearance, with a nose indi- 

 cating deep and frequent potations of strong whiskey, and with his long- 

 hair hanging wildly about his forehead ; and towering above all the 

 rest, like a lord and master, is the tall and well-made Norwegian, with 

 his blonde hair and Teutonic features. 



The most important person in the whole town of Vadsoe — more im- 

 portant even than the mayor — is Svend Foyn, an old whaler; and it is 

 to him and his whaling establishment that I now desire to introduce 

 my readers. 



Fish and whales are the principal sources of income in this country, 

 and as all the fisheries are free, every one endeavors to earn his living 

 thereby. This was also the case with Svend Foyn, who in his youth 

 was a simple whaler, and now carries on the whaling business on an 

 extensive scale. His establishment is located on the coast opposite 

 Vadsoe, and occupies a considerable space. The nearer our boat ap- 

 proached it, the more unendurable became the odor arisifig from it. 

 When we approached Vadsoe by steamer and the establishment was 

 pointed out to us, our attention had been attracted by some large white 

 hills on the shore whose nature we could not uaderstand ; now, however, 

 it became clear to us that these hills were whales undergoing the process 

 of manufacture. At a short distance from the establishment a large 



* Svend Foyn's Walfisch-Etahlissement. From the Deutsche Fischerd-Zeitung, Vol. VI, 

 Nos. 47 and 48, Stettin, November 20 and 27, 1883. Translated from the German by 

 Herman Jacobson. 



[1] 337 



H. Mis. 67 22 



