466 ANNUAL KECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



ity of those residing in other parts, are not precluded by 

 their religion from eating fish ; (2) that from the returns re- 

 ceived (excepting Sind), more than half the markets away 

 from the sea are insufiiciently supplied with fresh fish ; (3) 

 that breeding fish and their fry are indiscriminately de- 

 stroyed throughout the British possessions ; (4) that the sup- 

 ply of fish in the waters (excepting Sind) is generally de- 

 creasing ; (5) that the fisheries are mostly government prop- 

 erty; (6) that non-regulation of the fisheries under British 

 rule has had a disastrous efiect ; (7) that the natives let out 

 tracts of the country to contractors, who alone might dis- 

 pose of the fish, and certain conservative measures were 

 likewise in existence ; (8) that the contractors under British 

 rule have in many places been abolished, every one being 

 permitted to fish as he pleases; great innovations have 

 crept in, and fixed engines are now universally employed, 

 whereas they were not previously generally permitted ; (9) 

 that the fishermen, as a rule, unless in the vicinity of tidal 

 rivers, are only thus engaged in addition to their other occu- 

 pations, so are not dependent for their living on fishing; (10) 

 that regular fishermen in many places have been compelled 

 to give up this trade, and turn to other means of gaining a 

 livelihood; (11) that fishing-weirs and fixed engines obstruct- 

 ing water-ways, the high-roads of fish, are every where em- 

 ployed, from entirely spanning rivers, to every outlet in each 

 irrigated field from whence water is flowing, while the mesh 

 employed is so minute that the smallest fry can not escape ; 

 (12) that fishing-nets, with meshes of the most minute size, 

 are used for the purpose of catching every thing, and this in 

 every district where the water will permit of it ; (13) that, as 

 a rule, more than half the minimum-sized mesh of the nets is 

 less than one fourth of an inch between each knot, but even 

 coarse cloths are employed to capture fry w^ith ; (14) that 

 rivers and streams are dammed and the water laded out for 

 fishing purposes; (15) that Avaters are poisoned almost every 

 where to obtain the fish; (16) that the minor modes of fish- 

 ing are most numerous, destructive, and wasteful; (17) that 

 fish are in some places only killed to be thrown away, or car- 

 ried ofi" as manure, and that in localities where the supply 

 does not equal the bazar demands; (18) that irrigation weirs 

 jire largely destructive by impeding the ascent of the fish to 



