XCVUl 



lliat it shouKl ho uolfil Uiat ;ill tanks ami livurs are iliy tliuiiif;' (Iio liot 

 ufason.J The miniinuiu size of the mush of the nuts enijiloyud is given 

 by one Tehsililar as equal to a grain of gram, another as one-sixteeiitli 

 of an inch, and by two at one-eightli of an inch. Baskets or basket 

 traps are spoken of as existing in four talookas, poisoning- of the waters 

 to obtain fish in three, and doubtful in a fourth. 



1S2. In the Sule)/i Colleclurate the three Siih-Magistrates or Teh- 



siUtifs observe that all persons who engai;e 



Opinions of Native officials iu j^^ ^-^^^ ^^^^^ ^j,,^,^. occupations as Well. 



All the people, exeeiiting- Urahmms, KoniatieS, 

 and a few others, eat fish, the numbers in two talookas being- estimated 

 at 250,000, and in the third at four-fifths of the pojiulalion. The fresh 

 is preferred to the salted. Tlie markets are siidieiently supplied in one, 

 small quantities are sold in another, whilst in tlie remaining- talooku sulli- 

 cient is not obtainable. The amount in the waters is stationary in one 

 district, whilst it has decreased in the other two. The minimum size 

 of the meshes emphiyed are from one-fourth to half an inch. IJaskcIs 

 are reported as employed for taking- fish, and poisoning of the waters fur 

 this purpose as resorted too at Oussoor. 



183. Fvom the Norf/t Arcol CoUc:ctoralo 

 Nortl. Arcot Collectoratc, no ^^ answers to the questions for Tehsildars 



nave been forwarded. 

 18 1. In the South Arcot Colledorale the replies appear to be from 

 ^, , . . . one Tohsililar, who has also answered the 



ooutli Ai-cot oniiiKins ol Na- • i j n ii i ii i -ii i 



tivc; ollitials. queries put to Collectors, lie observes tnat 



tliere is a tax annually which inchulcs 

 fish, grass, and the other productions of tanks which is charged to the 

 villag-o in a lump sum, and paid by the village community in certain 

 specified shares. Eish are caught as soon as bred, and not allowed to 

 remain for any length of time ; large and small are indiscriminately 

 taken ; the mesh of the nets being as small as one-eighth of an inch in 

 diameter. How much soever fresh fish is brought to the markets meets 

 a ready sale, but it does not keep long in this country, but putrefies 

 within a few hours of its cajiture, more esjieeially the' smaller kinds. Tlie 

 fishermen are Piillies, who are known as Shemdavars ; they are agricul- 

 turists, and fishing- is a subsidiary occupation. About 90 percent, of the 

 I^eopie eat fish, the Brahmins, Sivites, and Jains exce])ted ; the fresh is 

 most esteemed ; the supply is quite inadequate to tlie demand ; the 

 amount in the waters has decreased. 



185. In the Tinnevelll Collectoraie eight TeJisildans report as fol- 



^ . ■ I.XT ^. m • , . lows: — The chief castes that lish in the fresh 

 Opinions or Native omcials in , o i i n i t i 



tl.eiiuuevelli Collectorato. waters are bavalakarai-s, Riravars, and Lub- 



liays, but they all have other occupations, as 

 agriculturists, coolies, arrack-distillers, musicians, ite. 'fhe majority of tlie 

 jieoiile, excepting Brahmins and high-caste Sudras, eat fish, the amount 

 being computed in seven talookas at 800,(185 persons, and in the remain- 

 ing- talookas at three-fourths of the i)o])ulation. Fish is preferred to 

 fresh ; in six talookas the markets are insufficiently supplied ; in two suflici- 

 ently ; a decrease of the amount in the waters is reported in four talookas, 

 an increase in three; no distinct answer in the remaining- one. Tlie 

 miuimum size of the mesh of the nets varies from the size of a grain 



