FROM DRONTHEIM TO THE NORTH CAPE. 



125 



or Maage), their eggs are large, and of a not disagreeable taste. The island of 

 Lovunnen is the favorite breeding-place of the puffin, which is highly esteemed 

 on account of its feathers. This silly bird is very easily caught. The fowler 

 lets down an iron hook, or sends a dog trained on purpose into the narrow 

 clefts or holes of the rock, where the puffins sit crowded together. The first 

 bird being pulled out, the next one bites and lays hold of his tail, and thus in 

 succession, till the whole family, cUnging together like a chain, is dragged to 

 light. 



This rocky coast is also much frequented by the sea-eagle, who is very much 

 feared over the whole province, as he not only carries away lambs and other 

 small animals, but even assails and not seldom overpowers the Norwegian oxen. 

 His mode of attack is so singular that if Von Buch had not heard it so posi- 

 tively and so circumstantially related in various places, situated at great dis- 

 tances from each other, he would willingly have doubted its truth. The eagle 

 darts down into the waves, and then rolls about with his wet plumage on the 

 beach until his wings are quite covered with sand. Then he once more rises 

 into the air and hovers over his intended victim. Swooping down close to him, 

 he claps his wings, flings the sand into the eyes of the unfortunate brute, and 

 thoroughly scares it by repeated blows of his pinions. The blinded ox rushes 

 away to avoid the eagle's attacks, until he is completely exhausted or tumbles 

 down some precipitous cliff. 



The sea-coast from Alsten to Rodoe, which is crossed by the Arctic Circle, 

 is particularly rich in herrings, as it furnishes more than one-half of the fish ex- 

 ported to Bergen. 



In respect of the capital invested, the cod-fishery must be regarded as the 

 most important of the Norwegian deep-sea fisheries, but in the number of 

 hands employed, the herring-fishery takes precedence The number of men 

 actually engaged in the latter is not less than 60,000, and considerably more 

 than double that number are directly or indirectly interested in the result of 

 their operations. The herrings taken in 1866 filled 750,000 barrels, each weigh- 

 ing 224 lbs., the largest catch ever taken on the Norwegian coast, at least in 

 recent years. As the movements of the fish are extremely erratic, large shoals 

 being found one year in a part of the coast where none will be seen the year 

 following, the fishermen are forced to move from place to place, and formerly 

 the herrings frequently escaped altogether for want of hands to capture them. 

 Now this difficulty is in a great measure removed. Telegraph stations are 

 erected at different places on the coast, from which the movements of the 

 shoals are carefully watched ; and field telegraphs are kept in readiness to be 

 joined on to the main line, so as to summon the fishermen from every part of 

 the country on the first appearance of the fish at any new point. The best 

 time for the herring-fishery is from January to March, and in 1866, 200,000 

 barrels, or more than one-fourth of the total catch, were caught between Feb- 

 vuary 11th and 14th. 



At the northern extremity of the province of Nordland, between 68° and 

 69° N. lat., are situated the Lofoten Islands, or Vesteraalen Oerne, which are 

 separated from the mainland by the Vestfjord. This broad arm of the sea is 



