appreciated by the local European community, who previously refused 

 (and wisely) to buy bazar prawns seeing that these supplies are liable 

 to be obtained from sewage contaminated localities. 



24. Prawn-farming. — As the Government cannery at Beypore 

 often suffers during the south-west monsoon from a dearth of prawns 

 suitable for canning, owing to the interruption of sea-fishing during 

 the prevalence of bad weather, I suggested to the Honorary Director 

 of Fisheries the desirability of forming a prawn-farm in the vicinity of 

 the cannery. By this means an emergent supply would be at hand 

 to make good any default in ordinary supplies. I was able to point 

 to the suitability of several foreshore ponds adjoining the village of 

 Chaliyam and within a few hundred yards of the cannery as suitable 

 for conversion into enclosed ponds where prawns may be cultivated 

 under satisfactory conditions. The proposal being approved, a survey 

 has been made and working plans drawn up for the conversion of 

 these ponds into a cultural area extending to about 25 acres, divided 

 into two sections by a sluice way. A second sluice will control 

 communication with the sea. It is hoped to put the work in hand 

 immediately after the close of the current monsoon. 



25. The Pulicat oyster park has pursued a normal course ; the 

 demand for the oysters grown there has increased appreciably, but 

 even yet a large proportion of the public have not realized the 

 advantage of obtaining supplies from a source which can be guaranteed 

 as free from sewage pollution, in preference to buying from dealers 

 over whose operations no control is exercised. As I stated in a public 

 lecture given at the Madras Exhibition last December, I have evidence 

 that large quantities of oysters are regularly put on the Madras market 

 as coming from Covelong, whereas scarcely any oysters are now 

 derived from that place ; it appears certain that these so-called 

 " Covelong " oysters come from highly contaminated waters adjacent 

 to Madras, The danger of eating uncooked oysters grown in water 

 chari^ed with sewage is a very grave one and it is high time that 

 safeguards were imposed in the interest of the public health. 



26. Beche-de-mer. — The trade in cured holothurians ("sea- 

 cucumbers "), known commercially as beche-de-mer and trepang, some 

 years ago was of considerable importance on the shores of Palk 

 Bay. Various causes have conduced to the practical extinction of 

 the trade, and at present the export of this delicacy (as considered 

 by the Chinese) is almost nil. This decline has caused an 

 appreciable loss of earnings to a considerable section of the fishing 

 population, so, as I cannot see any sound reason why the trade should 

 not be profitable to curers and exporters if it be carried on honestly 

 and efficiently, I asked for and received sanction from Government 

 to open an experimental curing factory at Tirupalagudi, a village on 

 the Ramnad coast of Palk Bay, where the problems of successful 

 treatment may be investigated upon a practical scale. So far 

 difficulties incident to the acquisition of the necessary site have 

 prevented a commencement of the work, but as the necessary apparatus 

 has been collected a beginning will be possible as soon as I am put 

 in possession of the land. I am glad to say that samples cured in a 

 rough and ready fashion and probably considerably inferior to the 



