74 



etc., elsewhere canned in oil, cannot be so described for 

 trade purposes. The matter has again been revived, 

 owino- to the persistence of the non- French canners. and 

 is still subjud'ce. This is of much interest to Madras, 

 since our "sardines" are perhaps not " Clupea pilchar- 

 dus" but "Clupea longiceps " and " Clupea fimbriata," 

 and the same objection might conceivably be raised to 

 Madras trade labels. But our fish especially " Clupea 

 longiceps," are sardines in appearance and flavour ; we 

 have the highest ichthyological authority (e.g., Dr. Day) 

 for calling them " sardines," and they have in fact been 

 so called for at least a century, since a Ceylon Ordinance 

 of 1824 speaks of these fish, as fish well known by that 

 name ; hence we have both legal and scientific authority 

 for calling our fish "sardines" which name I have 

 hitherto placed on my labels ; the words " packed in 

 India " may, however, be properly added. 



14. Fresh fish. — Nothing can ever make " fresh fish " 

 both cheap and good up country so long as ordinary 

 refrigeration is the only method available ; it can only 

 be cheap (or moderately so) if ice is spared, and then it 

 is not good ; fresh fish as received even on the Nilgiris, 

 is not cheap, and it is often not good. The necessary 

 first cost of ice in the tropics (necessary because of the 

 temperature of both water and air, because of the small 

 size of the plant in use, because of the cost of skilled 

 attendance), etc., the large necessary wastage, the large 

 quantity required on long journeys especially in the 

 absence of refrigerating cars or compartments, the dis- 

 tance and consequent cost of transport of bulky ice 

 parcels, are all against cheapness, while fish in general 

 cannot be completely trusted, however thoroughly iced, 

 which are caught, brought to shore, and delivered at the 

 icing places, by the methods and with the delays now in 

 vogue. Moreover, since fresh fish contains 75 per cent 

 of water it must always be an expensive food, especially 

 to send up-country, when ice and transport have to be 

 provided for this 75 per cent of water, while the nature 

 and method of the packing and transport still leave 

 much to be desired ; direct contact with scanty ice while 

 on long journeys at tropical temperatures, tends also to 

 sodden the fish. 



As reported in previous years I have sought to 

 substitute light-cured fish for fresh fish, and have very 



