clxxiii 



the replies of the Tehsildars into " yes." Thus, much will have to 

 be omitted. 



336. In the Meerut Division, the answers of the Tehsildars in the 



Doon are thus given : — There are no people 

 Replies of Native Officials in h bgist on fishi as a sole occupation, 



the Meerut Division. , lT ^, in*- • • , i 



but Kahars and Myras engage in it when not 



otherwise employed. The markets are fairly supplied, but the size of 

 the fish brought is yearly decreasing. The average price of fish 

 is 1|, and of mutton 2i annas a seer. All classes eat fish occasionally, 

 but none depend upon it as food : a great decrease has occurred within 

 the last 6 or 8 years. Nets with minute meshes were used, but for the 

 last two years 1| inches between the knots has only been allowed. Fish 

 are trapped in irrigated rice-fields by cultivators for their own consump- 

 tion. The Deputy Collector of Dulundshulun condenses the native reports, 

 and adds the information he has personally collected. Breeding-fish 

 and their young are destroyed here as elsewhere, only inasmuch as 

 they are not discriminated from other fish. Waters are not poisoned, 

 neither is much fry destroyed, because the consumption of fish is but 

 limited, as few depend upon it as a principal source of food. " The 

 spontaneous fish which appears in the tanks and pools is caught and 

 eaten by the poorer classes, but apparently with no great eagerness.'" 

 The rainy season is the most prolific of fish in the pools, and the smallest 

 mesh of the nets used is \ of an inch between the knots. The natives 

 generally recommend that the minimum size of the mesh of nets should 

 be equal to a rupee. He gives the replies of Tehsildars as follows : — There 

 are not above 12 or 15 families who subsist on fishing, but about 2,000 

 Kahars, Mullahs, Aberias, who also pursue other avocations, likewise do so. 

 More than two-thirds of the population, or three lacs of persons, have no 

 religious scruples to eating fish, the supply of which in the waters has 

 remained stationary of late years. " The smallest size of the mesh of nets 

 is somewhat less than \\ inches from knot to knot." fJust previously, 

 from personal observation, he stated the size to be \ of an inch between 

 the knots.] The amount of fish consumed yearly in the district is 

 computed at more than 2,000 maunds. The Tehsildars of Allygurh 

 report that there are 39 Malhaia caste fishermen in the district who do 

 not follow other occupations, whilst there are many others who do. The 

 local markets are not fully supplied with fish, the price of the larger sorts 

 averaging 1^, and of small 1 anna the seer. First-sort mutton fetches 2, 

 and second sort 1-9 a seer. A little over half the population, or 488,000, 

 belong to castes who do not object to fish as diet, the supply of which 

 in the waters is considered to have remained stationary. Small ones are 

 not taken in any quantity ; the smallest size of the mesh of the nets being 

 ^rd of an inch. Fish are not trapped during the rains in irrigated fields. 

 The Tehsildars of Meerut observe that in Baghput there are no exclusive 

 fishermen; in Haupur 20 ; in Meerut about 100, but 40 of these have 

 other occupations, and only fish during the cold season ; in Gazeeabad 20, 

 but some of these are not solely fishermen ; in Mowana none; in Sirdhana 

 about 50, who occasionally fish. Their castes are (1) Mussulmen, 

 particularly of the Belooch division ; (2) Kahars, who are constantly 

 dabbling with water in getting boriyas (matting materials), planting 

 singharas, &c; (3) Kolis ; (4) Kathicks. The supply of fish is equal to the 



