10 



OLAFSEN AND POVELSENS 



wood, till it acquire a proper degree of pliancy. They also pre- 

 pare skins by steeping them simply in skim-milk or brine: these 

 used for saddles are tanned with birch-bark, and afterwards blacken- 

 ed with the same dye, that is used for woollens. There are also 

 other processes in the dressing - of skins, of which thev make a re- 

 gular trade: some they rub and impregnate with the brown fat of 

 their smoked meat, which gives to the skin an intolerable fetor; 

 others are made more pei fectly white, clean, and sweet, by rubbing 

 them with cream mixed with a solution of salt; and these skins 

 are admired by all travellers for their beauty and goodness. 



OF THE FISHERIES. 



So much having already been said of the manner of fishing in 

 Iceland, we shall be very brief in our remarks on the method 

 adopted in the country of W esterjoekkel, or to the west of the 

 Glacier: it is, however, deserving of some notice; inasmuch as 

 the fishery here is the most important of any in Iceland ; while 

 the manner of fishing differs considerably from that practised iu 

 the other districts. In this quarter the fisheries that surround the 

 Glacier are very numerous: and the season is from the begin- 

 ning of April to the middle of May; and angling, or fishing with 

 a strong hook and line, is much and successfully adopted. In the 

 vicinity of the Glacier they only use canoes or boats made of oak, 

 in which eight or nine men can sit at their ease and follow their 

 occupation; while others can only hold from two to four persons* 

 They know by experience the spots which abound in tish, and 

 throw in bait of worms, or pieces of sole and other fresh fish, aud 

 sometimes the flesh of birds, particularly of ravens, which diey kill 

 near the Glacier. Each boat throws out from four to six floating 

 lines, and two of the men placing themselves at the prow, agitate 

 the water with their oars, partly with a view to keep the boat from 

 advancing or falling back with the tide, as well as to induce the 

 fish to bite, which they will not do if the hooks are shaken by the 

 motion of the boat. Notwithstanding this simple method, these 

 fishers will often catch, in a short time, a greater quantity of 

 fish, than their boat will contain, on which they take off their 

 heads and intestines, with the exception of the liver, and throw 

 them into the water. When these fishermen observe, that they 

 are likely to have bad weather on their return, they put all the fish 

 they have taken, on a string, and throw them into the water ; 

 on which the commander of the boat, taking the eud of the line, 

 draws after him the vast train of fish, which serves for a rudder, 

 and is more useful in a rough sea than any other. On gain- 

 ing the point, the greatest difficulty they experience is to have 

 their boat on shore, beyond the reach of the tide; they then divide 

 tfee fish amongst them. 



