25 



several days outside the yard. On the average, fish 

 which weigh 50 lb. fresh, weigh 30 lb. when sent out 

 of the yard, i.e., their weight is diminished by 40 per. 

 cent. ; small fish show a somewhat larger and large fish 

 somewhat smaller dryage. 



24. It will be seen that there are several radical 

 faults in the process. In the first 

 J{^%^^''" " P^ace, the fish should as far as possi- 

 ble be sheltered from the sun especi- 

 ally in the gutting process before transmission to the 

 yard ; at present this is but slightly the case. Secondly, 

 transmission to the salting shed should be rapid whereas 

 it is often dilatory ; sometimes the delay is due to an 

 attempt to sell it first as fresh fish ; sometimes it has to 

 wait the making up of the fisherman's consignment ; 

 I have seen it waiting for hours in heaps and baskets. 

 Thirdly, the salting is imperfect; the amount used (12^ 

 to 14 per cent.) is small as compared w-ith that used 

 in countries wdiich are colder and in more advanced 

 processes such as the "tamarind-fish " of Cochin or the 

 Ratnagiri method at Malpe ; the salt being in coarse 

 crystals instead of powder cannot be thoroughly rubbed 

 into the tissues and penetrates slowdy; the shape of the 

 canoe permits the brine to drain away from the fish 

 unless, which seldom happens, the canoe is full of fish, 

 so that the top layers, at all events do not soak in brine 

 but are left comparatively dry and therefore more open 

 to putrefaction ; only the bottom layers are well oft being 

 better protected from the air, while by the weight of 

 the upper layers the salt is forced into the tissues and 

 the strong brine floatino^ at the bottom of the canoe 

 soaks into them ; the duration of salting, from 1 2 to 20 

 hours at the utmost, is insufficient for the salt thoroughly 

 to penetrate the flesh especially when the fish is thick 

 and firm and the salt very coarse and the entry into the 

 yard late. Fourthly, the fish when taken out of the 

 brine is foul with various matters and washing is very 

 necessary ; this is frequently omitted from sheer dis- 

 inclination to take the trouble to fetch the sea-water ; 

 the dried product is consequently dirty and dis- 

 coloured while the foul matter tends to more ready 

 decomposition. Fifthly, drying is slow, discontinuous and 

 imperfect so that the putrefactive process is continuous 

 alniost throughout. The danger and even progress of 



