Ixiii 



MADRAS. 



123. The following ropoits from tlio Eiiropoan and native ofUnials 



of the Madras Presidency aro mostly tlio 



OriKi" of the present nngwers ^^^.^^j^ ^f p, ,i,ieg made iu tllO yoars 1807, 



jln;li.(ig. 68, 01), the questions circulatcdin 1871 having 



only been rejtlied to by two Collectors, As, 

 however, the two series were ratlicr similar, this summary has not 

 been further delayed awaiting them. In some of the Collectoratos full 

 answers, in others only a few, from the native oflTicials have been received, 

 whilst in some they have been entirely omitted. 



121'. The fresh-water fislicries of this Presidency may be divided 

 into those of rivers and /nn/cs in all their 



The fre.li-water fisheries being ^^yl^^^^ f^jj^g j,„(| s„b-divisions ; SOmc of 

 ofriveisaud tanks. ... -in l i 



which are perennial, others not so, a most 



important consideration with respect to the following draft instructions 



for the guidance of Collectors, issued by the Bcvenuc Board (Pecember 



] 8th, 1809) : — " Collectors will understand that these orders a]i])]y only to 



tidal estuaries of considoialilc extent, and to inland tanks and streams, 



which, as a rule, retain water throughout the year." 



125. The rivers of Madras are not of that largo size observed in 



the west of India, as the Indus ; or to the 

 Ma.lras rivers, few perennial ; ^^^^ ^^ ^j^^ Q^nocs, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddi, 

 objections to instituting rules ic-,, .t. ir ,• 



respecting the fisheries. a"d Salween in Burma, and lew retain a 



perennial supply of water. These rivers are 

 chiefly the Godaveri, the Toongbhudra, Kristna, Cauvery, and tiiose 

 (if Malabar, most of the remainder being more or less dry during the hot 

 months. As the Board of Revenue objects to making any order apjdica- 

 blo to the rivers that are not perennial, so the Collectors, as of Kurnal and 

 Malabar, object to anything being done for those which are so, consider- 

 ing they should be left alone. 



126. Respecting tank fisheries, those existing in inundated 



districts and in irrigated fields, the above- 



Piilcs frametl not to affect l ^ • l l' i i no\ t l l\ l tc *l 



nny but perennial rivers and q"oted instructions (paia 123) direct that "it 



tanks that do not dry up. 's not intended to interfere with the usual 



practice of catching fish in small tanks wliich 



do not retain water throughout the year, nor with any rivers excepting 



those possessing a perennial supply of water," and even here large 



exceptions appear to be admitted. 



127. The first consideration is, w^at proportion of iJic people eat 



fish ? or ])erhaps, may do so without infringing 

 Majority of people fish-eaters. '^^^^e prejudices, could they obtain it? It 

 will be seen from the following answers of both European and 

 native officials, that the great majority of the population can 

 eat fish, the largest exceptions being lirahmins, goldsmiths, high- 

 caste Sudras, the followers of Siva, the Jains, &c. ; that fresh fish is 

 usually chosen in preference to the salte(l article, except in some 

 few talookas, whilst low-caste people and Mahomedans in some districts 



