1^7 



on which the lake, and our cultural experiments, depend 

 for spat ; destruction of the beds would mean great 

 additional expense and very great additional difficulty in 

 re-stocking the lake. There can be no doubt but that the 

 bed of the lake is Government property and the High 

 Court have decided (I.L.R., Vol. XXVII, July 1904, 

 Madras, Annakumaru Pillai v. Muttupayal and others) 

 that "chanks are not fish. They are not fercu naturoe. 

 but are doniitoe natu^^os, and must be placed in the same 

 category as oysters so as to be the sndject of theft.'' 

 Moreover, as Mr. Hornell points out, the Bombay 

 Government exercise complete ownership and jurisdic- 

 tion over the oyster beds in the Sind backwaters, etc., 

 and the Kutch Darbar over the beds within their territory. 

 Hence Government may declare that the oyster beds in 

 the Pulicat Lake are reserved land and that their products 

 are removable or in any way to be dealt with only by 

 officers of Government, and that persons interfering 

 with these will be liable to the penalties for theft, or 

 mischief, etc. The whole of the lake, however, need not 

 be brought under the order but only such very small 

 part of it as will affect our operations, viz., the area 

 enclosed by a line drawn east and west just north of 

 Annamalaicheri (see plan in the first paper in Bulletin 

 No. 4) and another line at the entrance of the canal into 

 the lake at Vadamanikuppam (see plan accompanying 

 Mr. Hornell's letter of the iSth instant). If Govern- 

 ment approve, a proper proclamation with all boundaries, 

 etc., will be drawn up and submitted to Government. 



10. As work should begin on the spot by about ist 

 August next the very early orders of Government are 

 requested, first for sanction, should they approve, for the 

 carrying out of the experiment and for the outlay of the 

 necessary funds, (2) for the handing over of the areas 

 w^hich we require and which are indicated on the plan 

 attached ; as the Buckingham Canal is under the control 

 of the Public Works Department, the transfer of the 

 necessary sites may be ordered in consultation with that 

 department. The plan will show that the sites required 

 in no way affect the canal, and as a matter of fact, our 

 operations will be so slight and of such a simple and un- 

 obstructive character, that the canal could not possibly 

 be aftected. The bunds raised for the protection of the 

 oysters are but a few inches above the level of the lake 



