67 



subject is alluded to and sug-gestions made. In Japan I saw bamboo 

 cages, double coned in sliapc like a short very stout torpedo, with 

 a trap dooi" in the upper part ; these are carried on the boats 

 when going out to fish, and when fish are caught the cages are placed 

 in the water and the live fish put into the cages by the trap door ; 

 the sea freely passes through the interstices of the cage so that the 

 fish are readily kept alive ; the cages are then towed homeward behind 

 the boat. There were also wooden chests perforated with auger 

 holes and somewhat coffin- shaped ; these were either to be towed 

 behind the boats or used as floating chests in the harbour. I am not 

 aware whether these cages are common, but they are in use and similar 

 cages are found in the South Seas. In the Milan and Marseilles 

 Exhibitions (1906) I saw models or photographs of many of these 

 chests, some identical with the double-coned bamboo cage of Japan, 

 from many countries ; Italy, France and Turkey showed willow cages 

 precisely similar in design ; Germany and Austria showed wooden 

 perforated chests either coffin or closed canoe shaped, the former 

 being rather for storage, the latter for towing behind a fishing or 

 other boat. The matter is specially alluded to here since there is not 

 the slightest reason why such bamboo or rattan double-cone cages 

 should not be used in Madras waters so that the fish, which are 

 mostly alive when caught, might be kept alive not only to the beach 

 but, if there were no immediate demand or the curing yards were 

 shut, till required ; fish tainted by the time they reach the shore might 

 then be almost unknown. 



THE PREPARATION OF VARIOUS AQUATIC PRODUCTS. 



145. The universal use of fish as diet, the necessity for utilising 

 the sea to the utmost owing to the small arable area and the absence 

 of flesh food obtained from the laud, and the inability hitherto, from 

 want of quick communications, to carry fresh fish rapidly inland, have 

 begotten a considerable variety of prepared aquatic products both 

 animal and vegetable. To the ancient methods are now added many 

 modern modes of preserving and preparing fish products such as 

 canning, smoking, and pickling, etc., as mentioned supra s.v. '' Experi- 

 mental stations." Some account will be interesting and suggestive 

 in a Presidency where almost the only method hitherto of preserving 

 fish has been that of rough salting and sun-drying ; the exception is 

 the method of pickling mackerel in Cochin (paragraph 22 of my West 

 Coast Report) and the preparation of smoked bonito strips in the 

 Laccadives. Certain well-known and useful Western methods such 

 as pickling (in brine) have not been practised till of late in Japan ; 

 but there are many methods and preparations of novelty and interest. 



146. Shark flesh paste. — Shark and dog-fish are caught in vast 

 numbers on our coasts and the flesh is readily eaten. In Japan it is 



