CCXXXV111 



to reject the scaleless fishes. In the Panjab, fish (except by Brahmins 

 and a few others) is almost equally relished, as will be seen on turning- to 

 the returns from that Administration ; but as we examine to the south- 

 wards, as Delhi aud the upper part of the North-Western Provinces, the 

 Brahmins, high-caste Hindus, and even the Mussulmen who reside amongst 

 them in rural districts, are less addicted to its use, and mostly refuse ifc 

 entirely, unless they happen to be living on the banks of a large fishing 

 river, as the Jumna. Still in all these districts, unless from some peculiar 

 local cause, 50 per cent, of the urban population may be fairly reckoned as 

 not prohibited by their religion from eating fish. In Lower Bengal it is 

 largely consumed, whilst in Madras, Mysore, Haidarabad and Bombay a 

 very great proportion of the people would eat it could they obtain it; general- 

 ly the Brahmins, Vysias, Nairs in Malabar, and Jains appear to reject it. 

 In the Central Provinces, from 50 to 95 per cent, are reported as consumers 

 of fish. In hilly districts, fish is almost uniformly eaten when it can 

 be procured, whilst in the extreme east no Burman would consider his 

 meal complete, were it deficient in the odoriferous nga-pee. The 

 Andamanese may be said to principally exist on fresh fish, pork, tortoises 

 or turtles, for vegetables are consumed to a very inconsiderable extent, 

 so long as they can procure animal food. 



413. Of the foregoing races, an important question is — are any 



peculiarities noticeable amongst those who 



General effects of a fish diet eat figh and thoge who re -j ect ; t ag food? 



on the natives of the East. TTri , -, . , • i - • j_t i^i 



When one takes into consideration the wealth 



or the poverty of these various people, and the differences in climate, 

 I do not think that amongst the Hindu races much distinction can be 

 drawn. We may certainly find such, however, if we compare, for instance, 

 the people of Malabar with the Panjabese or Burmese, but this mode 

 of comparison is useless. The state of the intermediate people and 

 climate must be looked at, and, when this is done, I cannot perceive 

 much differences between the Nairs of Malabar who reject all fish and 

 flesh and the people of Orissa and Lower Bengal who eat the finny 

 tribes. A great and marked change may be observed in Malabar in those 

 who have turned from Hinduism to Mahomedanism, but this generally 

 occurs amongst the fishermen castes, who do not reject animal food. On 

 the other hand, the soil slaves of Malabar are about the most degraded 

 race, except the Naidis, wild in the jungles, whilst they all consume 

 fish. The Black Jews, who are in Malabar merely the converted 

 people of the country, or their pure or semi-Jewish descendants, 

 do not appear to be superior to the surrounding population. Neither is 

 any marked difference observable between the native Christian and Hindu, 

 which might not fairly be attributed to greater wealth and a superior 

 mode of living. The Burmese certainly have greater physical powers 

 to the natives of India, than whom they consume more fish, but the 

 diminutive Andamanese are very deficient in these qualities, although 

 the finny tribes form the chief constituent of their diet. 



414. It has been asserted that a fish diet has some effect on pro- 

 creation, and that fish-eating tribes are un- 

 Has a fish diet any relation- usually prolific, concerning which Dr. Pareira 

 ship to the procreative powers ,q ry , oe^ ronvirks- "There is T 



of the Asiatic races? >,.,£.*?■ '. remarks, ineie is, i 



think, suliicient evidence to prove that ichthy- 



