8 



educationally and industrially, the proper ascertainment and delimi- 

 tation of local rights and privileges, and so forth. In dealing with 

 these duties the State was assisted by the public to no small degree. 

 Indeed, it is difficult to say how the first impulse of improvement was 

 given ; whether the people in the persons of its leading men, fishery 

 merchants, and others, first initiated new methods and enterprises, or 

 whether Government gave the primary impulse. It will be seen 

 presently that, as in agriculture and industries, honours are divided : 

 Grovernment and the people have gone hand in hand in progress, each 

 acting and reacting on the other. 



11. The points to be considered are as follows : — (1) the gathering 

 of information and suggestions from other countries ; (2) the creation 

 by Government of a department to deal with the industry, and by 

 private persons of fisheries societies ; (3) the examination and regis- 

 tration of local conditions and facts ; (4) the carrying out of research 

 and the formation of practical experimental stations; (5) the estab- 

 lishment of educational institutions ; (6) encouragement and protec- 

 tion ; (7) the organisation of the fisher folk and of those concerned 

 with the industry into associations of various nature ; (8) the utili- 

 sation of exhibitions ; (9) taxation and expenditure ; (10) the 

 position of the fisher classes. 



After discussing these points, a brief description of Japanese 

 methods and implements useful to Madras will be given under the 

 heads of boats, nets and gear, the preparation of certain products, 

 the use and preparation of various marine products other than fish 

 such as sea weed, shells, etc., and finally certain methods of aqui- 

 culture. Suggestions for Madras will conclude the Note. 



THE GATHERING OF INFORMATION. 



12. One of the canons of action laid down by Government at the 

 Restoration, 1867, was as follows :— " Knowledge and learning shall 

 be sought after throughout the whole world in order that the status 

 of the Empire may be raised higher and higher.^' Perhaps this is 

 one of the most noteworthy of visible advances. Prior to 1868, 

 visits to foreign countries were punishable with death in Japan ; from 

 1868 the emissaries of progress went or were sent from Japan through- 

 out the world ; before the Restoration foreigners were practically 

 excluded from Japan ; after that event experts of all nations were 

 brought in, in order that they might teach the Japanese all that they 

 knew of western knowledge, science, arts, and industries. So far as 

 fisheries were concerned one of the first Japanese efforts was the 

 despatch of delegates with exhibits to various exhibitions such as 

 those of Vienna in 1871 and Philadelphia in 1876, and these shows 

 taught the Japanese something of the advance made by western 



