374 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [4] 



to fish in the shelter of the Fugle bjergene [Bird Mountains] in Brede 

 Boiy, or of the Eiturhuk and Stigalid (along the deep portions of the 

 Isa iiord), or the Xorth Cape (Shagestrauds Bay); especially as, dur- 

 ing northeast winds, which generally bring storms in these latitudes, 

 Brede Bay affords excellent shelter; and in this bay the Alma in 

 1883 twice found a place where she could safely ride at anchor during 

 a storm. 



As soon as the storm was over we rounded the Staalbjerghuk and 

 anchored below the Fugle bjergene. In going round the Staalbjerghuk 

 during a strong northeast wind care should be taken to avoid the 

 breakers on the Rosten, a reef running out in the same direction as the 

 Cape Staalbjerghuk, on which many vessels have been wrecked. The 

 best way is either to pass close to the point of the Staalbjerghuk or to go j 

 out to sea a few miles before turning. The fishermen generally prefer \ 

 to do the former. It is best to pass the cape when the storm begins to 

 lull; but I would not advise any one to pass the cape after the storm 

 from the northeast has raged violently for several hours. 



There are a good many fish near the reef referred to, but in order to 

 keep near the lines in the wild waves, which sometimes continue for 

 several days after the storm has abated, it often becomes necessary to 

 haul in the mizzeu sail, and allow the vessel to be driven out to sea by i 

 the current, and even then the lines often become so badly entangled 

 as to exhaust even the patience of a saint. 



Until May 5th we had fair weather, and the Alma continued to fish 

 from the Eosteu up towards Straumnaes, where we made several good 

 catches of from 300 to 400 large codfish. At the same time the Dyrafiord 

 (one of our fishing-smacks) tried her luck near the ISTorth Cape, where 

 fishing was fairly successful in the beginning of May. A few miles to 

 the west of the North Cape the Dyrafiord succeeded in making four or 

 five catches, realizing in all upwards of 3,000 codfish. An Iceland cod- 

 fish vessel of 38 tons, the Havfruen (built in Kjerteminde, Denmark, in' 

 1879), caught in the same region, on the 3d of May, 950 ; on the 4th, 

 954; and on the 5th, 1,208 codfish. It is true that the fish caught on 

 these banks do not weigh as much as those caught on the west coast ; 

 while 1,000 west-coast fish will make 7 to 8 skippund [2,240 to 2,560 i 

 pounds] klip-fish, the same number of Northland fish will only make 6 i 

 skippund [1,920 pounds], but this is amply compensated for by the large 

 number of fish. It was, therefore, a great disappointment when the ice 

 began to interfere with fishing in this locality. 



On the 7th of May the Alma unloaded her first cargo offish at Thin- 

 geyre. This cargo consisted of about 2,800 codfish, which, when salted, 

 weighed about 30 skippund, [9,600 pounds], besides about 5 skippund 

 [1,600 pounds] halibut and 2 skippund [640 pounds] wolf-fish. The 

 weight therefore could not be complained of, which made amends for 

 the comparatively small number, and all the more as nearly all the fish 

 were of good size. 



