XXIV 



the knots at Wazirabad, and | at Hafizabad ; in this last tehsil only are 

 fish said to be trapped in the irrigated fields during- the rains. 



39. In the Amritsar district, the tehsildars and two Extra Assistant 



. . _. . . Commissioners report, that in the whole of 



Amritsar Division. — Answers ji v x • j. t- - ii • 1 i i i 



of Tehsildars audExtra Assistant the district which is bordered by two rivers, 



Commissioners of the Amritsar there are from 80 to 90 fisherman of several 



district ; of the Tehsildars of castes, viz., the ' Machees' and ' Jheenumrs/ 



Reyah, Pasrur, Zaffarwal, Sial- —.y,- ~..^ „1™ 1 „l „ 1 a j.i_ 



kot, Shakergarh, Batala, and jl? ,? , * S ° l^™ ^d Water-Carriers ; the 



Pathankot. Mullas or boatmen; the 'Jhubhail/ who 



also trap birds, and the ' Summi/ who are mat- 

 makers. During the cold season the markets are generally well supplied, 

 but Amritsar is insufficiently so. All the Mahomedans and half the 

 Hindus eat fish, the supply of which is considered to have remained sta- 

 tionary. Fish are trapped in the irrigated fields during the rains, and 

 numbers of small ones are also taken at this period ; the minimum size of 

 the mesh of the nets is given at 1 inch between each knot. The fol- 

 lowing modes are employed for taking fish : — Rods, nets, harpooning, 

 digging holes in rivers' banks and allowing them to fill from the river, 

 then cutting off communication with the stream, and lading out the 

 water ; also with baskets and ghurras and various sorts of nets. In the 

 Sialhot district the Tehsildar of Reyah replies, that there are 70 fishermen 

 in his range, all of whom follow other callings : they are Pnkheewarahs, 

 Machees and Kahars. The markets are insufficiently supplied with fish, 

 which are eaten by two-thirds of the population. The amount in the 

 waters has decreased of late years ; many small ones are not taken during 

 the rains; the minimum size of the meshes of nets are 1^ inches between 

 each knot. The Tehsildar of Pasrur reports, that there are 29 fishermen 

 in his range, and that they all follow other occupations. The markets are 

 very insufficiently supplied; some 11,000 Hindus out of 244,397 per- 

 sons, or about 1 in 22, do not eat fish, the supply of which in the waters 

 has decreased. The smallest, sized mesh of nets employed is 1^ inches 

 between each knot. The Tehsildar of Zaffarwal states, that there are 

 34 fishermen in his range, all of whom pursue other callings. The 

 local markets are not sufficiently supplied with fish, which article of 

 food is consumed by half the population. The minimum size of the 

 mesh of nets employed is ^ of an inch between each knot. The Teh- 

 sildar of Sialkot reports, that there are 534 fishermen in his district, 

 all of whom have other occupations. The markets are very badly sup- 

 plied with fish, which are eaten by three-fourths of the population. Fish 

 have decreased of late years ; they are taken during the rains, but to no 

 great extent, by the construction of dams across nalas, which are then 

 netted; the minimum size of the mesh of the nets is one-third of an inch 

 between the knots. Fish are not trapped in the irrigated fields during 

 the rains to any extent. In the Gurdaspur district, the Tehsildar states, 

 that there are 80 fishermen in his range, who have also other occupations. 

 The bazars are insufficiently supplied with fish, which is used as food by 

 all the people, except Bunias, Bhabras, and Hindustani Brahmins. The 

 amount in the waters has greatly decreased during the last ten years, for, 

 owing to the scantiness of rain, the chumbs and pools have not been 

 replenished from inundations of the rivers, which is a great impediment 

 to their spawning. During the rains small fish are caught to a great extent 



