The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

FISIIEBIES.uaFisheries.The fisheries, especially in Norway, are very productive, and, more than thefertility of the soil, have tended to people the coast districts. The northernregions of Finmark and Nordland would even stillbe completely uninhabited butfor the fishing fleets attracted to the neighbouring banks.Here the chief treasures are the cod and the herring. In the Lofoten andFinmark the cod fisheriesemploy 8,000 craft, with 35,000 men, of whom perhapsone-third are destined to watery graves. In good seasons, such as that of 1877,as many as 67,000,000 cod are taken. The most frequented spots are the islet ofSkraavan, in the Vest-fiord, and especially the Henningsvar coast, where manyreefs and beaches become for the time veritable curing depots. Here everyFig. 75.Fisheries of Vest-fiokd.Scale 1 : 1,225,000.EofPtof&.part of the animal is turned to account. Till recently the Lofoten fisherstook the liver only, for the sake of the oil which has acquired such importancein modern pharmacy. But now, with a better knowledge of its value, theyeither forward the fish to foreign markets, or else barter it on the spot 'withRussian dealers in flour and woven goods.The residue of the liver, after extractingits oil, is shipped for Trondhjem, where it is regarded as a most powerful manure.The sound is sent to Havana as an article of food, and for making isinglass ;thedried fish is ground to a sort of flour, which makes excellent paste ;lastly, thesalted roe is used as bait, and was formerly sold, especially in France, to the sardinefishers.But its commercial value has of late years greatly fallen since a preferencehas been shown for artificial roe. According to the various ways in which itis cured the cod takes the names of stockfish, klepfisk, torfisk, rundfisk, orVOL. V. M