CCXXIV 



laud was a beneficial or suicidal act. It is, however, stated they were asked 

 if it had diminished to a serious extent the fish food ; tlieu by the 

 iuterroyatory a diminution seems almost conceded, whilst an increase of 

 population is admitted.] But it is continued — "that fi.sh are now as 

 plentiful as ever they were known to be." The smallest interval 

 between the stakes of a weir " was just sufficient to let the water flow 

 through, and of course precluded the exit of fish." If a net, it was of 

 " sudicient size to admit the nail of the little finger of a man's hand." If 

 minute meshed nets were prevented, any regulation " would possibly 

 deprive the poor man, who occasionally gets a few fish for home consump- 

 tion, of his dinner." So he " recommends that the people be left to use 

 their own nets in their own fashion." If any rules are enforced respecting 

 fry, " it should be imposed on the catchers of fish, and not on the bazar 

 sellers, chiefly women, who would be unable to comprehend or carry 

 out such a rule." The Deputy Collector of Pro/ne, whose opinions are 

 so mixed up wilii the replies of the Myo-okes that some given amongst 

 the latter have been referred to this place instead, observes that 

 especially about Padoung breeding-fish and fry are destroyed. Young 

 fish are also caught in Shway-Lay, Ijut there are very few fisheries there; 

 " Fish are taken indiscriminately, and numerous breeding and j'oung 

 fish must be destroyed. They are taken all the year round in the rivers, 

 and during the rains in the inland or pond fisheries." Is averse to legisla- 

 tion on the minimum size of the mesh of the net which is employed, and 

 there would be difliculties in prohibiting the sale of the fry of fish. The 

 biizar is not fully supplied ; more fish could be sold at Padoung ; the price 

 is Rs. 45 a viss for large, and Us. 25 a viss for small fish : at Shwe-doung 

 I s. 35 per 100 viss for the former, and Us. 15 for the latter : during the 

 cold season it is cheaper, but the relative j)roportions continue. lie 

 observes that fish are said to have increased, and " I think that I can 

 confidently assert that, notwithstanding the wanton destruction of young 

 fish, of which Dr. Day saw reason to complain, but which, with all 

 respect, I venture to assert, does not take place, &c." jjUcaliy, this is a very 

 remarkable statement : an official, who, I believe, was not in the place, 

 most distinctly denies the statements I made of the destruction of j'oung 

 fish occurring in my presence at Prome when there in 18C9, the sorts of 

 which I pointed out, and a few of the very specimens are now in 

 my possession or in the Imperial Museum at Calcutta, lie asserts this, 

 although I showed the captures on the spot to Colonel Stoddart and 

 more than one oflicial who were then there, whilst the same destructive 

 proceeding his own answers prove even now to be going on in the [)addy- 

 fields and banks of the streams in or near that place. And the next 

 answer is from a contiguous official, who makes, in other words, exactly 

 the same statement as I did, and the accuracy of which is strictly 

 correct. ] " Very small fish are taken during the rains in the riee-fields by 

 means of tra))s called tsoung, made of bamboo slips, plaited and 

 tied together in the shape of u basket, the spaces being as small as the 

 6]iaces between the bamboos of a chick almost. This is carried by the 

 hand, and is suddenly ])ut into the water with the mouth downwards, 

 and pressed down, and the fish caught inside its walls is then collected. 

 Another trap emplo^'cd for taking small fish on the banks of the streams 

 and in the paddy-fields is called yek-l/iai, which is made of plaited 



