152 
LOFODEN  NORWEGIAN  COD-LIVER  OIL. 
the  separation  of  the  oil.  Livers  taken  in  January  may  not  be 
treated  for  their  oil  till  April,  and  even  if  taken  at  the  end  of 
the  season  the  interval  may  be  considerable,  depending  upon  the 
distance  of  the  fisherman's  home,  on  Easter-tide,  and  also  upon 
the  supply  of  kettles,  for  few  fishermen  own  these  utensils,  but 
borrow  of  one  another.  When  the  boiling  is  begun,  no  difference 
is  made  between  livers  taken  early  or  late,  but  all  are  treated 
alike.  Thus  the  first  livers  that  may  be  presumed  to  be  the  best 
will  be  the  stalest,  and  the  late  and  poor  livers  the  freshest. 
The  average  time  that  elapses  between  the  death  of  the  fish 
and  the  separation  of  much  of  the  oil,  may  be  said  to  be  from 
one  and  a  half  to  four  months. 
Oil  is  never  sold  at  Lofoden  during  the  fishing  season,  but  in 
May  and  June  the  fishers  take  their  several  products  to  Bergen, 
which  is  the  true  market.  They  are  unwilling  to  sell  their  livers 
on  the  fishing-grounds,  though  at  advancing  prices,  preferring  to 
make  the  oil  themselves,  even  with  less  ultimate  profit.  The 
reason  is  peculiar ;  they  are  to  a  man  desirous  of  being  present 
at  the  great  annual  gathering  at  Bergen,  for  to  be  frequently 
absent  from  it  lowers  their  reputation  at  home  as  men  of  the 
world  ;  so  a  regard  for  their  personal  importance,  together  with 
the  pleasures  of  social  reunions,  and  the  excitement  of  competi- 
tive trade  are  too  great  temptations  for  their  natural  prudence 
and  thrift  to  resist.  At  Bergen,  before  the  oil  passes  into  the 
merchant's  hands,  it  is  classified,  by  brokers  appointed  by  gov- 
ernment, into  three  qualities,  known  as  the  light  yellow,  light 
brown,  and  brown.  The  average  price  of  the  light  brown  oil  is 
from  three  shillings  to  three  shillings  and  sixpence  per  gallon. 
Although  many  of  these  particulars  relate  to  the  fisheries  at 
Lofoden,  it  is  proper  to  be  understood  that  cod-fish  are  taken 
along  the  whole  coast  of  Norway  all  the  year  round,  and  espe- 
cially on  the  coast  of  Finmark  during  the  months  of  April  and 
May,  when  the  Lofoden  fishing  is  over.  But  in  all  these  cases 
the  cod  are  no  longer  alone ;  with  them  are  many  cognate  and 
other  species,  who  move  all  together  in  pursuit  of  common  prey,  or 
pursued  by  common  enemies.  Among  these  are  herrings  of 
several  varieties,  the  capelin  Mallotus  arcticus,  inferior  sorts  of 
cod,  as  Gadus  merlangus,  and  many  other  small  fish.    At  Fin- 
