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are netted which cannot be disposed of as fresh fish, the fisherfolk 

 cure them with bazaar salt in their own houses and send them to 

 the neighbouring markets mostly in a semi-dried or wet condition. 

 As they get a good price for this kind of fish they do not care to 

 place themselves under the restrictions laid clown by the fish- 

 curing yard regulations which insist among other things on fully 

 drying the fish for two days before they are removed from the yard. 

 The Peruvala nets (large seines operated from the shore) sometimes 

 land large quantities of nethali and other kinds of small and 

 immature fish and these are simply sun-dried. Fishing is carried 

 on by Pattanavars (Hindus and Christians) and Karaiyars who are 

 hereditary sea fishermen, by Sembadavans who are mostly engag- 

 ed in fresh water fisheries, and to a small extent by Pallees, Pariahs 

 and Sonagars in some of the villages. The craft and implements 

 of fishing are more primitive than those of any other part of the 

 Presidency, and the condition of the fisherfolk is in no way better 

 than elsewhere though they get comparatively higher rates for 

 their catches. Their huts and surroundings are dirty and they are 

 illiterate without any desire to improve their condition. Intemper- 

 ance is the curse of the community, even babies being made to 

 drink toddy. The caste panchayats are strong among the fisher- 

 folk with headmen whose offices are hereditary. They receive 

 advances of money from fish-dealers and other capitalists on con- 

 dition of supplying fish at cheaper rates than the market-rate, and 

 they also borrow money from the ordinary money-lenders at 

 exorbitant rates of interest. Labourer fishermen receive small 

 advances of money from owners of nets and boats on condition of 

 their working in those boats, and this is treated as a standing debt 

 which must be cleared before they can go and serve under any 

 other man. The catches are usually divided among the men, a 

 portion going to the owners of the net and boats. These people 

 have hardly any other source of income as they depend entirely on 

 fishing, except the Sembadavans who, in addition to fishing, are 

 in some localities engaged in agriculture, and also, trade in dried 

 fish which they carry to the weekly shandies or markets held in 

 the interior parts. As the demand for fish cannot be met by the 

 local catches large quantities of salted fish are brought into these 

 two districts from the West Coast by rail. In some places near 

 Madras the headmen of the villages receive a fixed annual grant from 

 some fresh fish-dealers on condition of their giving all the "curry 

 fish" (table fish) such as seer, pomfrets, etc., which are landed in 

 their villages, to such dealers during the periofl of the contract. The 

 price is fixed daily by bargaitiing, and if there is any outsider who 

 is willing to pay more than what the contractor is prepared to give, 

 the fishermen are at liberty to sell the fish to him, but generally 

 the contractor is an influential man and no one would incur his 

 displeasure by competing with him. All other kinds of fish are 

 sold to any one who offers the highest price, but on every rupee 

 worth of fish so sold the fishermen have to pay half an anna as 

 contribution to the village funds. Usually the right of collecting 

 this toll is sold in auction by the caste headman and is purchased 

 by one of the well-to-do members of the community who in his 

 turn collects the duos every day as the fish is sold on the beach. 

 The funds thus collected by the headman are spent for celebrating 

 festivals in the village temple or other communal purposes. Curing 



