Ix 



make all (lio water pass tluough an open receptacle resembling a lar<>c 

 liasket, also by erecting- a bank of sand across a river or ualla and 

 obtaining the (isli in the usual way. 



110. The nalive oU'iciutti in the Kaladji Collectoraie report that 



there are about 400 persons who follow lish- 



Opinions of mUivo officials iu ■ j,^ conjiinciion with other occupations, 



lint there are likewise distinct lisliing castes. 

 Fish are but rarely sold in the bazars ; about one-quarter of the i)coiilc 

 are fish-eaters ; the su])ply of late years is considered to have remained 

 stationary. Very small ones are not taken in any (juantity during the rains, 

 whilst the minimum mesh em|)loyed is al>oat the size ol' a grain of wheat. 

 In the Indee Talooka lish are trajipcd during the rains in the irrigated liclds. 



120. The native officials at S/iota/jiii- give the niunbcr of iisher- 



men in the district at 1,IIU0, including women 



Sholu'tr'""^ """'^*'°''^°'"'''" and children t The Bhoecs are the fishermen 



caste ; they are also palkee-bearers. The 

 markets are insufTiciently supplied with fish ; one-third of the population 

 eat it when obtainable; the supply is said to have decreased of late; 

 very small ones arc caiitnred with nets and baskets, the latter of which 

 are of such a line tcKture that nothing can escape through the interstices. 



121. The Mainlutdars of BcUjaum report through the Assistant 



Collector as follows : — Mr. Stewart states that 

 Opinlonsof the n.iUve officials j,^ j^j^ ,\\^^^.\^i there are only about 250 fisher- 



01 the licl;^iiuiu CoUcctoratc. , , . •' . . 



men, who also engage in other occupations ; 

 they are chiefly of the Bhoee, Koli, and Takur castes, but a few Mnssnl- 

 men likewise carry on this pursuit in a small measure, mostly for home 

 consumption. The markets are glutted with salt-fish imported from Goa 

 and the sea-coast, there being but a slight demand for fresh fish ; 

 but if the opportunity were given to the natives to purchase fresh fish 

 cheap and good, there could be no doubt that the use of this wholesome 

 article of consumption would be more wide-spread. The relative price of 

 fish and mutton is much the same in the different talookas, but the cost 

 of the former is considerably more than that of the latter. About 20 

 per cent, of the po])nlation eat fish, the supply of which has remained 

 stationary of late years, but very young ones are not destroyed during 

 the rains to any great extent. Mr. Fleet states that in his district there 

 are about (iO fishermen of the Bhoec, ]\ladiassi Holler, Koli, and Takur 

 castes in Bulgaum and its neighbourhood, whilst there are Irom 25 to 30 

 in the Gokak Talooka of the Kabalge, Mussulmen, and Rajput castes j 

 most of them are likewise palkee-bearers or Ilamals. The Bclgaum 

 market is insufficiently supplied with fish, but in the Gokak Talooka the 

 supply equals the demand ; the same may be said of the other two talookas. 

 The supply in the rivers has seriously diminished of late years, due to 

 increased demand and decreased rainfall. IMany very small ones are 

 cajjtured during the rainy months ; fish are very generally caught with nets, 

 or tra})i)ed in the lielils that are permanently irrigated. Mr. Luxmoii 

 Jagoouuth rci)orts that there are fifteen villages in his district on the banks 

 of the rivers, and which contain about 125 fishermen, chielly of the 

 Maratha, Mussulmen, Kidbodee, Bagace, and Bhoee castes. A large num- 

 ber of very small fishes are captured during the rains \vitli nets having 

 minute meshes. 



