XXX 



Tlieoretically this may l)e vorj' correct, l)ut how is it practically ? 

 In Sine], nets for capturing- fry ilo not exist, l)nt still Nature maintains llie 

 due proportions, of which I will aililuce one instance out of several that 

 I have personally witnessed. At Muhn, the canal from the Indus joins 

 the bed of the old Narrah, and fishing- was i)rohibited. A deep hole 

 existed at the conlluence of these two pieces of water, and fish were most 

 numerous. The muddy water of the Indus here joined the comjiara- 

 tively clear stream from the old Narrah, for, due to its more circuitous 

 route, much of its mud and silt had become deposited. If a small fish 

 appeared, it seemed to be at once disjiosed of by the large silm-oids. At 

 the first throw of a cast net, 10 of these fish weighing about 30 lbs. were 

 capt\u-ed : having- crossed the old Narrah, in one more throw into the 

 conjoined stream, 18 more were taken, weighing- about 50 lbs. The same 

 is seen in the thinly populated districts in Burma. Larger fish prey 

 upon the smaller ones ; thus I have taken a barbel out of a hard-rayed fish, 

 Naudus marmoratiis, that was one-third the length of its captor. 



48. As to the fishing- in the Indus itself, this chiefly consists in 



^. . ^ caitturing- the shoals of shad, which ascend 



Fislici-y in Indus, mostly ofr.,, p ,i e, ,• 



gjij^j ^ ■' from the sea tor the purpose ot lireednig, 



about February, and return to the salt water 



about the end of Scptembei-, for, " owing- to the dangerous character of the 



river at all times, but especially during the inundations, there are 



strong contending- currents," and other fishing is but little resorted to. 



Another reason that the river is but slightly fished, is, that the popidatiou 



in its vicinity is scanty, for, owing to the constant and occasionally 



sudden variations in its course, the neighbouring land is always liable 



to be ruined by the silt deposited upon it during inundations, and villages 



are in danger of being swept away. 



49. The fishes in the fresh waters of Sind are mainly of two 



descriptions — -first, the river fish common to the 



Frcsliwatcr fishes consist of Punjab, and the pulla, which ascends from the 



river nml inun.lntiou sets No ^ j . ij^.^^j;, , punioses, and it is this latter 



pieventible ilcstiuction or the , . i , i. , p , 



immature appears to obtain. only that IS much sought after by lishermen ; 



secondly, the inundation fish, which are of two 

 descriptions: (1) river fish, which have been carried by the overllowing- 

 of the Indus over the neighbouring- country ; (2) tank fish, which, 

 from the same catise, have in like manner been distributed everywhere. 

 No undue and preventible destruction of small fish appears to exist in 

 Upper and Central Sind — -first due to the paucity of population ; secondly, 

 because of the rapidity and dangerous character of the river Indus and 

 tlie constant vaiiations in its channel; and ^/ii;'(//y, owing to the security 

 the immature fish obtain during the inundation season. 



50. As to the proportion of jteople %oho eat fish ? — Its use is almost 

 . . universal, and here the Mahomedans do not 



y en en. object to the scaleless forms, under the belief 



that, if they have gill openings, it is a proof that they are allowed to the 

 faithful, as the i)ro]>het cut their throats. 



51. The markets seem to be sufficiently supplied during certain 



seasons of the year. The amomit of fish 



Fisheries peculiar. Wasteful ;, ^ars to be stationary : breeding ones arc 



uestruction not observed. Mi, n i> i • i . i i i 



not destroyed, as hshing has to be suspcmled 



