( 43 ) 



rnins dlspersccl over Uic surface of the country in rice-fields, 

 sw.imps, drains and ditches. Tliese endeavour subsequently 

 to make their way to the large rivers, but tlie dangers M'hich 

 beset them on the road are more numerous than those which 

 Bunyan's Pilarim had to encounter. In the shallow waters 

 in the rice-fields, women and children may be seen in crowds, 

 fishing with baskets termed jalcai, ihrough the interstices 

 ot which a ta(l])oIe could not pass. Those that escape this 

 danger, and, following the flow of the Avater, arrive at one of 

 the innumerable little bunds sepaiating the various ]iaddy- 

 fields, hud their further progress barred by funnel shaped 

 bamboo traps, tl. rough which the water is made to pas?, but 

 Avhose outlets ai-e so small that only the most minute fish 

 can get through. Escaping to the smaller water-courses, their 

 dangers seem to increase. The Assamese divide the chan- 

 nels into sections by erecting bunds, and fnnu one of these 

 they proceed to bale out all the water, capturing ever_y fish, 

 large and small : they then bund otf another ])ortion, and do 

 likewise. The fish finally ani\ e at the smaller rivers, find 

 their exit barred by weirs, whicli will let nothing pass, and 

 not content ^vith this, the Assamese will sometimes resort to 

 poison." In I3urina at IJangoon (p. ccxxii), it is observed 

 that the right to catch breeding-fish only is rented out in 

 some parts, separate from the fishery itself; so further re- 

 marks on how these fishes are treated in that province 

 appear unnecessary. 



LVII. Seeing that a fish diet is popular throughout 

 Tiic si.ppi.v of fisii iu Uie India, that tlie markets are not sutli- 

 fiesiiwnt.n- detrensi.ig. cicutly su])plied, that the breed- 



ing-fishes are trapped ascending to their breeding-grounds, 

 and the fry by every conceivable device, the qucsticm arises — 

 Is the sitpphj oj Jish in. the fvcsh-watev increasing, decj'casing, 

 or f^talionarij ? In the ranjjil), out of 78 answers from 

 different talookas, an increase is reported in 13, a stationary 

 state in 32, and a decrease in 83. In Sind, no alteration. 

 In tlio North-Western Provinces, out of 17 answers 

 (p. cxlv), G report a statiorary state, 10 a decrease, but some 

 think the fisheries are recovering. In Oudh, 21 tehsildars 

 report an increase in 8, stationary in 10, a decrease in 2, 

 and doubtful iu 1. In Bombay, that the fish in rivers and 

 tanks have generally decreased during late years. In the 

 riaidarabad Assigned Districts, there is only one opinion, 

 which is, that they have decreased. In Mysor and 

 Coorg, the great majority of reporters give a decrease; 



