No. 2 (1922) LACCADIVE FISHERIES 53 



other islands and the " giant clam " {Tridacna) gives a substantial 

 dish at times. The islanders are poor when compared with the 

 people of the other islands and the men and women are on short 

 commons at times owing to the irregular supply of rice from the 

 mainland and partly to the difficulty of finding profitable outlet for 

 their produce. The population is 761 and the area is 255 acres. 



KlLTAN. — At 9-30 in the night of the 27th November we left this 

 place and reached Kiltan the next morning. The various forms of 

 fishing apparatus in use were inspected and notes taken of the 

 methods of using them. 



The people of this island number 675 and the area about 400 

 acres. The soil is generally fertile and some enterprising men 

 have grown tamarind and other trees; while one garden showed 

 cholam bearing pretty bunches of grain. The northern end of the 

 island is a jungle of tall spear grass which, I am told, is a good 

 substitute for hay. The guide who accompanied me showed with 

 pride his small garden where chillies were growing as shrubs 6 to 8 

 feet high, together with cucumbers bearing fine fruits. Though 

 the inhabitants were not found in " much distress and anxiety " 

 as stated by Major Alcock in 1891, when 8,000 of their coconut trees 

 were destroyed by a storm (the effect of this storm is still seen in 

 many trees growing in a slanting posture) and the long expected 

 consignment of rice from the mainland was long overdue, yet the 

 people look poor and a feeling of helplessness prevails ; they 

 say they are starving though to me they appeared not so badly off 

 as the Chetlat people. At one house visited, the people were 

 havirg as a meal a preparation made by boiling a landweed with 

 mlra, the local name for sweet coconut toddy. 



Fishing operations are a bit brisker here than at Chetlat. Fish 

 was drying on the beach. Small fish are scored through to allow 

 quick drying. Big sharks and rays (Kottar) are cut in pieces and 

 hung on ropes to dry without being treated in any way, while 

 kudiraimin and olaimin (Hisliophorns) are made into " mas." This is 

 done by cutting the big fish into chunks of about three inches square, 

 which are boiled in sea water for ten minutes and then put in 

 the sun to dry. This they expect to keep good for six months and 

 more. Shark fins are dried and exported to the mainland at a 

 price of Rs. 20 per thulam. It was in this island that I heard a pearl 

 had been found, some three or four years ago, in a Tridacna and 

 sold for Rs. 20. Regarding kokd (beche-de-mer) curing, except for 



