58 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vol. XIV, 



silk umbrella as an accessory sail. When there is a slight breeze behind 

 the boat it is a common sight to see a man or woman kneeling in front 

 and holding up a large umbrella of oiled silk for this purpose. The 

 umbrella is the same as that used for protection against sun or rain. 



Fish-Traps and Baskets. 



The fish-traps used in the Inle Lake are not different in general 

 principle or structure from those used in most parts of the East. They 

 depend for their efficacy largely on the fact that many fish have a habit 

 of thrusting themselves into any hole tliat seems likely to lead to a 

 sheltered retreat. It is always easier, owing to the direction of the 

 fins, for a fish to go forwards through a small aperture than for it to 

 retreat backwards, and apparently fish have not the sense to turn 

 round and go by the way they came. Consequently the traps used in 

 the Inle Lake, with the exception of certain baskets with which I will 

 deal later, have one or more entrances fitted with a funnel-shaped 

 passage-way that has the narrower end innermost. 



Perhaps the most characteristic trap of tlie kind known t(. the Intha 

 is that used in catching the Inle Herring Barbel {Bnrbus stedmanensis) 

 and Ciilled by them pwonhnwet : see pi. VII, fig. 3. It is of stout 

 barrel-shaped form and is neatly constructed of very fine strips of cane 

 crossing diagonally in two directions, and of some twenty rather stouter 

 strips of tlie same material bent in circles. The diagonal strips pass 

 alternately above and under the circular ones. The trap is made in 

 two longitudinal halves, each of wliich has several circular strips twisted 

 round its open end. Tlie two halves are roughly tied together witli 

 coarse twine and can be separated in order to remove the fish. There 

 is an entrance at either end of the complete trap. Its funnel-shaped 

 passage-way is formed of inwardly projecting strips of bamboo which 

 converge considerably. They are strengtliened by other strips wound 

 round them in a spiral. The trap is never baited, but is either laid 

 amongst weeds with a stone inside to Iceep it from floating or else 

 suspended in the lake under a small floating island, which is anchored 

 by means of a rope and stone. The floating island may be a mass of 

 peat with vegetation growing on it or simply a mass of floating weed. 

 A plant frequently used for the purpose is Ammania rotundifolia. 



A coarser t5^pe of trap (pi. VII, fig. 4), used chiefly for catching 

 Ophiocephalus striatus, is often set in the lake. It is made of slender 

 but very strong reed-stems peeled and coated with thitsi varnish. They 

 are fastened parallel to one another by means of bands of some tough 

 bark twisted round and between them in a double spiral. At the two 

 ends and in the ' middle there is a twig or strip of bamboo bent in a 

 circle and fixed inside the reeds to strengthen the whole. The strips 

 of bark and the interna] supports are manipulated in such a way that 

 the trap is somewhat compressed at one end ; otherwise it has an 

 almost cyhndrical shape. It is about 82 cm. long and 44 cm. deep. 

 There are two compartments and both the round end of the trap and 

 the partition between the compartments are provided with a passage-way 

 of converging reeds. The compressed end is provided with a moveable 



