42 



the hope that the increased head of water may rectify the harm 

 occasioned. 



Taking it as it is now, Negapatarn affords good anchorage 

 outside the river, but is valueless as a port of refuge. Any 

 fishing boats using it will do so only on account of its value as a 

 distributing centre ; they must go elsewhere for shelter — either 

 to Nagore to the north or southwards to Thopputturai or to the 

 south-west of Point Calimere — an arrangement which would be 

 found probably quite satisfactory as well as practicable. 



14. Negapatam fishermen like those of Tranquebar and 

 Nagore go to some distance beyond the 100 fathom line of 

 soundings during summer in search of shoals of flying-fishes 

 and have the same custom of improvising specially large 

 catamarans for this particular fishery. This year (1908) an 

 innovation in methods was made which is most significant and 

 satisfactory to those who urge the need of larger boats for the 

 proper development and conduct of our fisheries. For the first 

 time on record cargo boats or lighters this summer were fitted 

 up as fishing boats and used in the flying-fish fishery. The 

 pioneer boat of the enterprise caught over 80,000 fish in one 

 day and this so excited the native traders of the town that 

 eventually twelve out of the 70 available lighters belonging to 

 the port (apart from the fleet owned by the Madura Company) 

 were engaged in the fishery. For the most part the crews 

 were recruited from the ranks of the port boatmen, 6 to 7 men 

 to each boat. 



As much as Rs. 200 to Es. 300 each was taken by some of 

 the boats for a good day's work, the boats returning home daily. 

 The total quantity of fish caught must have been very great ; 

 one trader informed me that he himself purchased 10 lakhs of 

 the dried fish for shipment to Rangoon, Penang and Singapore. 

 It is also eaten locally and considerable quantities are de- 

 spatched to Tanjore. Preparation of the fish consists in it being 

 opened longitudinally, eviscerated, washed in sea water and 

 sun dried ; no salt is used. 



If adverse winds be experienced the catamarans are some- 

 times so much delayed that the fish becomes putrid and has to 

 be thrown overboard. However it has to smell very badly 

 indeed before the men proceed to this extremity. Even if two 

 days old on landing, they will yet attempt to cure it ! Here 

 most assuredlv the services of a swift carrier attending to a 

 group of boats working at sea for several days together, would 

 be most valuable. 



15. Nagore. — This town, situated on the river Vettar, is 

 now a considerable distance from the point where the river 



