150 
LOFODEN  NORWEGIAN  COD-LIVER  OIL. 
leaving  very  early  and  returning  in  the  evening  ;  the  distance 
these  have  to  row  is  from  four  to  seven  English  miles. 
As  soon  as  the  fishermen  has  come  to  shore,  he  proceeds  to 
cut  the  head  off  every  fish  and  takes  out  the  roe  and  liver,  thus 
distributing  his  catch  into  four  groups.  The  fish  is  sold  on  the 
spot  to  purchasers  or  dealers,  who  are  there  for  the  purpose,  or 
else  the  fisherman  hangs  it  up  to  dry  for  himself,  and  later  in 
the  season,  removes  with  it  to  the  "  stoevnetid,"  the  home-time, 
meeting-time  at  Bergen.    The  roe  he  usually  salts  immediately. 
The  livers  are  disposed  of  in  the  following  manner  : — some  he 
throws  at  once  into  large  wooden  vessels,  holding  from  eight  to 
twelve  hogsheads,  and,  by  frequent  agitation  and  stirring  with 
wooden  beaters,  obtains  from  them,  at  the  ordinary  temperature, 
a  fine  transparent  oil,  which  floats  on  the  surface.  This  oil  is 
drawn  off  and  preserved  separately.  The  livers  thus  partially 
exhausted  are  then  either  secured  in  barrels  for  the  further 
purpose  of  oil  burning  at  home,  or  else,  being  left  in  the  open 
wooded  vessels,  suffer  decomposition  ;  the  oil  produced  becomes 
gradually  darker,  bubbles  multiply,  gaseous  products  are  freely 
disengaged,  accompanied  with  an  exceedingly  unpleasant,  pene- 
trating smell  that  may  be  perceived  at  a  great  distance.  The 
livers  that  are  not  thus  treated,  the  fishermen  pack  into  barrels 
bought  for  the  purpose.  Day  by  day  the  livers  produced  by  the 
day's  fishing  are  put  into  a  barrel  until  it  is  quite  full ;  it  is 
then  bunged  and  a  new  barrel  begun.  When  the  fishing  is  ended, 
every  one  takes  the  number  of  barrels  belonging  to  him  and 
journeys  homeward.  The  best  livers  and  the  finest  oil  are  taken 
from  those  fish  that  have  just  arrived  from  the  deep  sea,  the  cod 
is  then  fattest  and  in  best  condition  ;  but  by  remaining  in  shal- 
low water,  where  the  function  of  spawning  is  accomplished, 
where  feeding  is  not  its  object,  and  where  little  food  is  to  be 
obtained,  it  becomes  leaner  and  leaner,  until,  on  its  return 
to  the  deep  sea,  it  is  quite  emaciated. 
Cod-fishing  at  Lofoden  terminates  on  the  14th  of  April.  All 
the  contracts  for  service  expire  on  that  day,  according  to 
ancient  custom  ;  even  though  the  fishing  may  be  productive  with 
a  prospect  of  continuous  good  results,  the  men  disperse  not- 
withstanding, and  their  labors  are  discontinued.    The  reverence 
