22 



taken at the rates paid in the fish-curing yards ; at 

 ordinary rates for duty-paid salt 8 annas more covers the 

 extra cost. A wooden one-dozen case contains just 340 

 of such fish, and weighing gross about 52 lb. (40 to 42 lb. 

 of fish) can be sold f.o.r. Cannanore for Rs. 2. Salted 

 mackerel not sun-dried but simply drained and slightly 

 moist, can be similarly sold, but the box averages about 

 64 lb. with 54 lb. of fish ; this product will not keep so 

 long as sun-dried fish but is otherwise desirable ; the 

 charo-e is similar thoucrh labour is less, because more 

 salt is used and the fish may be in salt for some days 

 till a demand arises. Smoked mackerel, a very good 

 product, packs at 300 to the box which, with 34 lb. of 

 fish, averages 44 lb. ; the cost is similar ; these fish keep 

 a long time, and February cured fish are now (July) in 

 good order. 



1 7. Sardines cost, when sufficiently abundant for large 

 work, about Rs. 12 or a little less, per ton, taking a large 

 canoe load of 5 kallis of between 5 and 6 maunds each, 

 as I ton. By the pilchard cure the cost of salt and all 

 labour does not exceed Rs. 4 to Rs. 5 per ton of fish (at 

 Rs. 2-12-0 for salt at 10 annas per maund, and Rs. 2 per 

 ton forlabour) so that the ton of fresh fish costs, when 

 cured, Rs. 16 to Rs. 17 in all, and taking i^tons of fresh 

 fish to make one ton of cured fish the latter costs Rs. 21 

 per ton, or nearly 7 lb. per anna. To this must be added 

 the cost of packing cases, usually cheap wooden boxes 

 or, for small quantities, kerosine tins with covers. A 

 one dozen case costing 4 annas holds 48 to 54 lb. of 

 moist, pilchard-cured sardine, so that the fish cost about 

 8 annas. If the case be sold f.o.r. Cannanore at Re. i, the 

 fish will be sold at 12 annas, giving a profit of about 50 

 per cent. A kerosine tin of such sardine weighs 40 lb. 

 gross and contains ^']\ lb. of fish ; this can be sold for 

 about 12 annas if the tin can be got for 4 annas. 



If, however, these pilchard-cured fish are either 

 dried or smoked, the packing charges can be greatly 

 reduced ; I hold smoked ungutted sardines, now above 

 four months old, which have travelled hundreds of miles 

 in a common package, and have been left loose in a box ; 

 they are still (July) in excellent condition and flavour, 

 and quite unbroken ; these can be sold with a good profit 

 at about Rs. 50 to Rs. 55 per ton (equal to nearly 2 tons 

 of fresh fish) or 2 J lb. per anna packed in mats, etc., and 



