Proceedings of the British Association, 139 



Friday. 



Mr. G. R. Porter read a paper, contributed by Mr. R. Valpy, 

 ' On the Trade and Navigation of Norway/ being the abstract of a 

 Report made to the Government by J. B. Crowe, Esq., Consul Gene- 

 ral for Norway. The chief exports are wood, fish, and minerals. 

 The wood consists of deals cut in twelve feet lengths, and balks 

 either round or square. Proprietors of forests are under no restric- 

 tions as to felling; they generally cut down the trees in autumn 

 or winter, and convey them to a river to be floated down the stream. 

 The reproduction of the timber is believed to be equal to the con- 

 sumption. Formerly England was the chief market for Norwegian 

 produce, and had in return the almost exclusive trade in manufac- 

 tures ; but since the establishment of discriminating duties in favour 

 of Canadian timber, the English trade has fallen, and the consumption 

 of English manufactures greatly decreased. Hamburgh and the 

 German States have become markets for Norwegian produce, and the 

 manufactures of Germany have superseded those of England. The 

 annual average quantities of timber exported in the seven years from 

 1835 to 1841 were 618,769 loads of 50 cubic feet, which, with fire- 

 wood, hoops, and other less valuable timber, may be deemed worth 

 435,000£. The fisheries rank next in importance to the forest, and 

 afford the chief occupation to Norwegian industry. The exports con- 

 sist of stock-fish, round and split, clip-fish, salted cod, and halibut, 

 liver and shark oil, and live lobsters. Stockfish is chiefly exported to 

 the Catholic countries of southern Europe. The exports fluctuate 

 from the varying nature of the fishing trade, but in 1841 they were, 

 stockfish, 14,196 tons, clip-fish 11,285 tons, herrings 608,086 

 barrels, cod-roes 20,217 barrels, liver and shark oils 41,715 barrels, 

 and 552,272 lobsters. Salmon for several years has ceased to be an 

 article of export. The disappearance of this fish is attributed to the 

 swarms of sharks which have recently taken possession of the banks 



