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fishing and of an improved arid larger type of boat for its 

 prosecution. The boat's at present used at Kilakarai are of a 

 distinctive type particularly interesting as they evidence once 

 more that within limits the fishing community of the East 

 Coast of Madras i- an enterprising and adaptative body of men ; 

 f believe thai up to the present day the fishermen of this part 

 of the country, so far as local limitations imposed by pecu- 

 liarities of the coa tline will permit, ha?e kept full pace with 

 the limes, thai is with the demands made upon them to supply 

 fish to the neighbouring communities ; what has checked 

 progr< - has been lack oi the means to ensure distribution 

 beyond a few miles from the ooasl The advent of railways 

 affording rapid transit to large inland centres of population has 

 suddenly changed conditions, but even yet difficulties and 

 inexperience in knowing how to keep fresh fish wholesome 

 during transit, fetters the situation. But to return to the 

 Kilakarai type of boat, it differs from every other in the world 

 as it has been evolved to rait the very special conditions 

 associated with the pearl and chank fisheries. The boat must 

 provide accommodation for a considerable number of divers 

 working together. Above all, as the pearl and chank fisheries 

 can be carried on only during the finest season of the year, 

 when Light wind- and dead calms are frequent, boats designed 

 \or this ^ailing must be readily and quickly moved from point 

 to point as each in turn is exhausted of .-hells. Hitherto paddles 

 alone have been available, hence the boats of Kilakarai are 

 built long and narrow to allow five divers to work on either *ide 

 if need be, and to facilitate frequent change of anchorage in 

 the search for a rich section of the bank. 



The rig is of the simplest consisting of a single mast, 

 stepped nearly amidships, on which is set a primitive looking 

 cotton square sail. So long as the wind is steady and not over 

 violent these boats make an excellent pace; to counterbalance 

 their inherenl lack of stability a long balance or outrigger 

 board is run out amid-hip< on the weather side and weighted 

 with from 2 to 5 and even 6 men according to the strength of 

 the wind. Several times I have seen three-fourths of the crew 

 of one of these bouts squatting or standing on the outer end of 

 the outrigger board. A big lee board is always carried and is 

 often in requisition as the boats are built without keel. So 

 well adapted are- they to the speeial requirements of pearl and 

 chank fishing that it is unlikely the type will be readily 

 exchanged for another ; more likely will it be that if the merits 

 of another type be demonstrated for say drift netting, suc-h will 

 be used concurrently with and not in displacement of the older 

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