go 



staying out many hours owing to exposure and inability 

 to take a food supply ; obviously also it is impossible to 

 deal with the fish either by proper storage, or by the 

 use of salt or ice. In certain parts, as at Masulipatam, 

 excellent fishing "dinghies " built of teak are in use, and 

 in Palk's Straits, especially near Point Calimere, boats 

 of considerable size are in use as carriers } the Kilakarai 

 and other pearling boats of the Manaar Straits are also 

 well known. The Masulipatam dinghy can and does 

 carry a respectable length of light cotton drift net which 

 may aggregate half a mile in nominal or one-third in 

 short length ; this, though exceptional, helps to prove 

 the case for the general use of proper boats. On the 

 extreme south, as at Tuticorin, the Ceylon boats, usually 

 outriggers and splendid sailers, regularly come over in 

 the cold weather for seer, but so far have found no 

 imitators. On the West Coast the canoe or dug-out is 

 universal ; this very narrow and crank boat being chiefly 

 a row-boat requires a large crew and gives poor accom- 

 modation for nets and little room even to men ; its 

 sailing power is slight and sails often non-existent ; 

 obviously such boats are badly unsuitable tor real deep 

 sea work. The exception on this coast is a notable one. 

 viz., the so-called Ratnagiri boats, comparatively large 

 (6 to lo tons) sailing boats from the Bombay Coast, 

 which come down for the cold weather sea fishing ; these 

 regularly come as far south as Tellicherry, but so far 

 have met with no local imitators, though they are good 

 sea boats and sailers, make the long voyage from the 

 Bombay Coast, and could stay out at sea for days 

 together, if properly provided. 



8. These inefficient boats do the whole fishing of our 

 coasts ; some fish by night, some by day, but in few cases 

 does the stay at sea exceed 9 or 10 hours and the dis- 

 tance from land 5 or 6 miles for the following reasons : — 



(a) food and water cannot conveniently be taken, 

 especially on the catamaran ; 



(/;) the exposure and confinement in catamaran and 

 dug-out cannot long be borne ; 



(c) much of the work has to be done by rowing or 

 paddling ; 



(c/) in this climate fish can nowhere and at no 

 season remain in grood condition for more than a verv 

 few hours after death ; and 



