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of the most difficult to deal with. Here where the 

 great heat demands extreme rapidity we are con- 

 fronted and baffled at once by the slowness of every 

 kind of operation from catching to curing, and by the 

 absence or prohibitive dearness of all sorts of preserv- 

 atives and preservative processes, such as, live wells or 

 chests, salt, refrigeration, etc. The large fishing boat 

 with well, salt, ice or cold storage, the speedy steam or 

 motor carrier from the fishing boats to shore, the rapidity 

 of manipulation, transport, etc., on shore, necessary 

 even in a temperate climate or cold weather, are precisely 

 the aids which are lacking in this tropical and backward 

 country, yet are essential, at least in some degree, if the 

 industry is to be developed as a great source of food 

 and wealth. There are, on the West Coast, just the 

 germs of some such development, the comparatively 

 large Ratnagiri boats buy a little bazaar salt and partly 

 cure their catches at sea, small canoe carriers belono-- 

 ing to dealers, go out, buy from the fishermen at sea 

 and bring to shore, the canning of sardines has at least 

 begun, and merchants have enquired as to methods and 

 possibilities both as regards canning and other curing 

 processes. But there are no signs of organised, clear- 

 sighted, resourceful effort on modern lines ; power is 

 not employed ; speed is hardly thought of, cheap salt as 

 supplied to the curing yards is not available in the boats 

 for the instant commencement of curino- ; refrio-eration is 

 undreamed of though not impossible, at least on shore, 

 since ice can be made even in the tropics, at from Rs. 15 

 to Rs. 20 per ton according to the size of the machine ; 

 live wells are not attempted, the boats being small, 

 though even in the Minicoys fish fry, intended for live 

 bait, are abundantly stored, till wanted, in fine-meshed 

 receptacles of large size moored in the lagoons. 

 Improvement, however, needs Icnowledge, enterprise, 

 capital. Knowledge, first, and of this there is at 

 present almost a total lack ; no process save the 

 ancient method of sun-drying seems even to be 

 dreamed of, Enterpj-ise next, and this seems lacking 

 in the development of the fishing industry as an organis- 

 ed business, from the obtaining of the raw material to 

 the finishirg of a superior product, though abundant 

 enterprise in other lines is shown on the West Coast by 

 European, Hindu, Mahomedan and Jew. Capital, and 



