Ivii 



used in deeper wafer. Large nets su))])or(e(l at. intervals Iiy ligld. liollow 

 gourds are stretclicd out in the river, one end being' iittaclied to a 

 boat. 



lliJ. The 3Iamlid(1ars of ihc Kaira Collcctorate report tliat it is 



dillicult to give the exact luiinber of fisher- 



Opiuions of nntivo officlnls in j^^^,, ^^^ tliev are, as a rule, agriculturists like- 



wise, and otten employ themselves diMing the 

 monsoon in |)lyiug fcrvy-lioals on the larger rivers. On the hanks oi' the 

 Mhye (lierc are prohahly about 5(11) persons emj)loyed in supjilying the 

 Haroda market with fish, both fresh and salt. The only fisherman caste 

 is the " Maehee," but many coolies and Mussulmcn engage in fishing as 

 well. There is stated to be little or no demand for fresh fish in the local 

 markets. Possibly about one-sixth of the population have no religious 

 scruples about eating it, but few comparatively use this food from 

 choice. It is supj)o.sed that the supply of fish in the Mhye has decreased 

 of late years. The common superstitious belief is, that the deities of the 

 river have been displeased by the withholding of the offerings formerly 

 made by travellers who crossed it in carts, previously to the opening of 

 the railway. Fishing is common during the rains; all sorts are captured ; 

 the nets allow none to escape ; the minimum size of the mesh is about one 

 quarter of an inch in diameter. Fish are not trapped in irrigated fields 

 during the rains, as irrigation is chiefly derived from wells. The following 

 arc the principal im]>lemeuts employed in fishing : rod and line " gul" ; 

 torch-fishing by night, "Ook"; liaiul nets, "hath jhal" ; or cast-nets, 

 (" f'ulolu") ; and large nets, " maha jhal." 



11^. The Mamlutdars in the Khandrhh Colledornie report thaf> 



there are 23,000 fishermen in the whole of 



V^t^^^.^^ '" the district, but they do not. de,H;nd upon fish- 



ing alone as a means or livehiiood, as tlicy 

 also pursue diflxM-ent occupations. The names of the fishermen castes are 

 Koli, Pardi, Kokne, Waiijari, Bliui, Mahar, Baradi, Bhil, Diwar, Kotil, 

 Mussulman, Mawache, and Thudwi. The local markets are insufficiently 

 supplied with fish, that captured being ])rinei|)ally for home consumjitioii. 

 Three-fourths of the jjoople eat fish, the amount of which in the district 

 has decreased of late. During the rains many small ones are captured iu 

 every possible way. The smallest mesh emploj'cd is down to one cpiartcr 

 of an inch, after which a cloth is used, or no mesh at all. Fish are 

 trapped in the irrigated fields during the rains. The different means used 

 for ea])turing fish are jali, nets; basket traps; gul, a hook used only 

 in the rains, cloth, poison of sorts as follows, hinganbet, yathil, glr 

 and thor. 



114. The Mamlutdars of the Nanik Collcctorate report that there 

 „ . . „ ,. „ . , arc about 4,000 fishermen in the district, but 



Opinions of nntivc ofhcmla • , ,■ 1 1 ji 1 i 



iu the Nnsik Collector.itc. ^onie only arc at times solely thus employed, 



as they are also .agriculturists and day-labour- 

 ers. The fishermen castes are Maratlia, Bhoee, Kahar, Koli, Bhil, Taroo, 

 Taral, Kokn^, Warli. Many ]\Iussulmcn and Koonbccs also fish. None 

 of the markets are sufiiciently supplied. With respect to the propor- 

 tion of persons who cat fish, the reports varj', in some talookas only 

 one in twenty-two of the poi)ulation are staled to do so, iu others two- 

 thirds or three-foui'ths, oi-l even fifteen-sixteenths do. In the Peiiit State, 



