ccxxv 



bamboos like a mat, and is shaped somewhat like a shovel." He goes on 

 to describe a lave-net, and remarks upon the leng-bai, one of the very 

 nets I complained of, and which in his own words " consists of a very- 

 fine meshed net, with two bamboos fastened along each end. It is 

 worked by two men, who take each one end of the bamboo ; in fact, it 

 is first taken out at right angles from the bank; the man holding 1 the 

 outer end makes a curve until his bamboo touches the bank * * and the 

 small fish swept up and confined between the bank and the net are 

 caught." He also describes the Chinese dip-net, which he states is a 

 fine net, capturing " any small fish that have been swimming over.'" 

 The Deputy Collector of Thyetmyo, in addition to his former report, 

 observes, — " Very young fish, I fear, are destroyed in great numbers 

 during the rainy season ; at this period of the year, they leave the 

 river and ascend any little stream or backwater they can find, and 

 here they fall an easy prey to men, women and children, who 

 pursue them with all sorts of contrivances, which, though generally 

 very simple, are very killing. Two women, for instance, holding a sheet, 

 between them, will, in half an hour or so, collect a few pounds of small 

 fry." Were the size of the mesh regulated, one inch is proposed as the 

 minimum. 



404. The replies of the Myo-okes or native officials are thus given : — 



The Myo-okes of Rangoon state " that as a rule 



Pegu Commissiouership. Re- fi h sufficient f or one ' s daily requirements, 



plies of native officials. ; . . . . . , . . i x ; , ; 



can always be obtained in the market, but 



there is a difficulty at times in purchasing large quantities, especially 

 at those seasons of the year in which the fisheries are not being worked." 

 " Opinions differ very much as to whether fish have increased or decreased 

 of late years. The last rainy season was an unusually favourable one, 

 and fish were more plentiful than they had been for years. But I 

 think the general opinion is that fish are not so plentiful as they 

 were some years ago before we took the country." As regards the 

 modes of fishing — one is by putting up bunds and leaving one opening, 

 through which the fish pass and jump into a kind of tray placed to 

 receive them ; or by erecting a large thick screen, and having another 

 immoveable one, which is dragged towards the stationary one until 

 the fish are enclosed in such a small space as to be easily caught by 

 bunding off different portions and draining away the water; also by 

 putting up large screens to prevent the fish escaping, and catching them 

 with nets. The Myo-okes of Prome reply that by far the larger number 

 of fishermen follow other occupations as well. More fish would be sold 

 in the bazar were it provided : the amount in the waters is said to be 

 increasing. The Extra Assistant Commissioner of Pantanaw replies — the 

 number of fishermen as given by the Myo-okes is 791, and they do not 

 pursue any other occupation ; they are Taleins and Karens. The local 

 markets are fully supplied. Large fish sell at Rs. 15 per 100 viss, 

 and small at Rs. 7. Fish have slightly increased of late years, 

 considering the rate at which fish was sold last year {see answer from 

 Rangoon, that it was an unusually favourable one), I may safely say 

 that the quantity is dependant more on the rise of the waters : if 

 the catching of Nga-Tit or fish with spawn is prevented, it will no 

 doubt lead to the increase of fish. The minimum interspace in weirs 



P 



