4o 



concentration of fish in definite centres of large catching 

 and curing business. The sardine manure business is 

 an exception, but is intermittent ; when catches are so 

 abundant that they cannot be sold fresh or cured in the 

 yards, they are simply rough-dried on the beach all along 

 the coast and are then sent, if the distance is not too 

 great, to a Calicut firm which further dries and deals 

 with the stuff; there is no continuous regular manu- 

 facture from fish refuse, such as offal, "scrap" from 

 which oil has been extracted, fish bones, etc., simply be- 

 cause there is and at present can be no concentration of 

 catchino- and curing. When sardines and mackerel are 

 superabundant and too distant to pay for despatch to 

 Calicut, they are, it is said, often left to rot uselessly on 

 the beach. 



42. A singular economy was noticed in the use of 

 Use found for cat-fish cat-fish (Arius) heads which, in 



heads and entrails. several places, after the fish have 



been split and headed for curing, are sold to the local 

 toddyshop keepers, who cook them with condiments and 

 supply them with toddy to customers ; presumably the 

 strongly spiced article gives thirst or zest, like anchovies 

 for claret or caviare for vodka. 



A peculiarity in food was also noticed, viz., in the 

 use of cat-fish entrails as food by the poorer classes ; 

 these were being sold at one pie per basket and were to 

 be boiled with salt and chillies. No other entrails 

 appear to be so used and the reason for this selection is 

 unknown. The mere fact, however, and the price, and 

 the class of people purchasing these entrails, are indica- 

 tive either of great poverty or of gastronomic indifference, 

 especially in a region where fish is so abundant and 

 cheap. Possibly, however, the livers, forming a con- 

 siderable part of the entrails, are very nutritious ; in the 

 Shetlands cods' heads boiled with the livers in the mouth, 

 boned, spiced, and minced, form the well-known and very 

 nutritious and tasty " stap " ; cod liver oil is thus (it is 

 said) made actually enjoyable. 



43. The trade in isinglass in the shape of " fish- 

 maws " (air-bladders of cat-fish, etc.), and shark-fins, is 

 brisk as usual ; beche-de-mer is not found on this coast. 



