64 



50. Mulki, a fishing centre about 12 miles north of 

 Mangalore. The river entrance dries nearly across at low 

 water springs, but lias 6 to 7 feet on the bar at high 

 water. 



51. Mcdjji an<l St. Mar if s Isles. — Malpe is a flourishing 

 fishing centre at the mouth of the Malpe river, well protected 

 to the westward by the chain of St. Mary's Isles, three in 

 number. The channel between these islands and the mainland 

 is about a quarter of a mile wide with depths of 6 to 12 feet at 

 low water. During north-west winds, small sailing boats find 

 shelter under the lee of Deria Bahadur Grhur, the middle and 

 highest of the islands. The Malpe fish-curing yard when first 

 opened was located on the island named ; later it was trans- 

 ferred to Malpe. The Ratnagiri boats working from here do 

 not usually enter the river; they land their catches on the 

 beach abreast of the village and when they lay up for a day to 

 clean up and oil their boat and nets, they move over into the 

 lee of Deria Bahadur Ghur. Malpe river offers good shelter 

 also, the bar although shallow being so well protected that the 

 sea does not usually break thereon. We crossed it several 

 times at the end of November, finding the least depth to be 4 

 feet. At low water ordinary springs there are sometimes 

 places with but 2 feet water, but as springs rise 8 feet and 

 neaps 6 feet, there is ample water at certain states of the tide 

 for pattamars and batelas to enter. Quite a number were 

 within the river at the time of our visit. 



52. A very large shore seine called the Rampini or 

 Rampan net was introduced here from Goa some years ago. 

 At the present time there are quite six of these nets in use 

 here each owned co-operatively by as many as 45 shareholders, 

 who contribute both in labour and in material. A large out- 

 rigger boat is used to load this hii2;e net said to measure over 

 a mile in length. The condition of the fishermen appears to 

 be good ; the introduction of this Rampini net admittedly has 

 done much to improve it, for though the cost of a net is com- 

 paratively high, Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 2,000, huge catches are made 

 when shoals appear in the bay. One net which we saw hauled 

 ashore produced 4 tons of sardines alone, and we heard of 

 another haul the same day that vieided 10 tons. These were 

 being dried on the beach for manure. Besides sardines, 

 mackerel [Scomber microlepidotus) was being taken in large 

 quantities at the same time ; the fish-curing yard was full of 

 them, and the Sub-Inspector informed us that close on 3,000 

 maunds (= 110 tons) had been brought to the yard the day 

 previously, all caught by means of this Rampini net. 



