NATURAL HISTORY of NOR TV A T. ts$ 



out of a particular veneration for them, the inhabitants of that 

 country never take them, unlefs it be by accident ; and then the 

 faw is held for a fethTo, or facred relkk, by the idolaters, 



SECT. VII. 



The Tart, or Pinke, is a fmall kind of Salmon, and differs Tan. 

 but very little from the common kind, except it be in fize * for 

 it is not as big as the Salmon when full grown. It is therefore 

 confidered as a particular kind ; though by fbme writers it is 

 thought to be no other than a young Salmon. 



Torlk,^ the Cod-nfh, Morhua, five Afellus Major. This well-Torsk. 

 known Fifh, with the Herrings, affords the beft part of their 

 livelihood to the inhabitants of this kingdom. They are chiefly- 

 caught along the Weftern coaft. They ftay here all the year, and 

 are taken in great quantities : but as we have more than one fort 

 of Cod-fifh, and the feafbns and manner of catching them are dif- 

 ferent, according to their fpecies, &c. I fhall dwell a little upon 

 the fubjecl:, and give a more full and exa£r, defcription, as I have 

 done with regard to the Herrings. 



The large Cod is called here Skrey, and alfo the Spring Cod. 

 Thefe, in moft years, come in great abundance to the more in 

 Winter, prefently after the firft Herrings, and are then fat and 

 large. They come in to pick up the young fry of the Herrings, 

 or the Spawn, juft difcharged on the fholes *, and at that time 

 they do not care to biteat the hook, but are caught in great Way of catdi; 

 numbers in thofe nets which they call fetnings-garn. Thefe are insthem ' 

 made of packthread, and work'd pretty large ; each mefh is four 

 inches fquare, and there are about 15 of thefe mefhes in breadth * 

 fo that the net may be near a fathom wide, and full twenty 

 fathoms in length. Of thefe kind of nets they ufe in bad weather 

 about eighteen, but in fine weather twenty-four, to one large 

 boat with fix men : fo that when the whole number is fix'd, they 

 extend to a length of 480 fathoms, in about fifty or feventy 

 fathoms water. They have buoys fixed to the nets, to fhew 

 where they are placed. About this coaft we do not ufually extend 

 them to fuch a length, but are fatisfied with fixty or a hundred 

 fathoms. Thefe nets in twenty-four hours will fill a good laro-e 

 boat with Fifh. They go out in the afternoon, and fet thofe 

 nets, and early the next morning they take them in again ; and 

 they frequently find three, four, or five hundred large Cod in 



* When the Cod is expefted, then our Sundmoer peafants look upon a violent ftorm, 

 with a North-weft wind, which they call Grundftod, to be the effe&ual means of driving 

 them to the coaft, and to promote their fifhery ; therefore, at that time, they pray to 

 §od for fuch ftorms as at other times they beg to be delivered from. 



each 



