liamboos like a mat, aud is sliapcd somowliaf lilve a shovel." He goes on 

 la describe a lave-nefc, and icmniks upon the leng-bai, one of the very 

 nets I complained of, and which in his own words "consists of a very 

 (hie moshcd net, with two bamboos fastened along each end. It is 

 worked by two men, who take each one end of the Ijamboo ; in fact, it 

 is first tnken out at right angles from the bank ; the man holding the 

 (inter end makes a curve until his bamboo touches the bank * * and the 

 small fish swept up and confined between the bank and the net are 

 caught. " lie also describes the Chinese dip-uct, which he states is a 

 fine net, capturing "any small fish that have been swimming over." 

 The Dcpiily Collector of Thi/etmi/o, in addition to his former report, 

 observes, — " Very young fish, I fear, are destroyed in great numbers 

 (luring the vainy season ; at this period of the year, they leave the 

 river and ascend any little stream or backwater they can find, and 

 liere they fall an easy prey to nien^ women and cliildren, who 

 pursue tlicm with all sorts of contrivances, which, though generally 

 veiy simple, are very killing. Two women, for instance, holding a sheet, 

 between them, will, in half an hour or so, collect a few pounds of sra.ill 

 fry." Were the size of the mesh regulated, one inch is proposed as the 

 minimum. 



401. The replies of the Mj/o-okes or native q^e?«/.? arc thus given: — ■ 



The Mi/o-ol;c!i of Uanqoon state " that as a rule 



rcs„ C,3,nml.3!.M,crship. Ro- jj^, s„(p,cic„fc f,„. one's daily rccpiirements, 



plios of imtive ollicmls. ' i , • i • /i i i 



can always be olitamed in the market, but 

 there is a difliculty at times in purchasing large quantities, especially 

 :it those sensons of the year in which the fisiierics are not being worked." 

 " O|iinions differ very much as to whether fish have increased or decreased 

 (if late years. The last rainy season was an unusually favourable one, 

 and fish were more plentiful than they had been for years. But I 

 think the general opinion is that fish are not so plentiful as they 

 were some years ago before we took the country." As regards the 

 modes of fishing — one is by putting up bunds aud leaving one opening, 

 l.lirougli which the fish jiass and jump into a kind of tray placed to 

 receive them; or by erecting a large thick screen, and having another 

 immoveable one, which is dragged towards the stationary one until 

 iJie fish are enclosed in such a small space as to be easily caught by 

 liuuding off dillerent portions and draining away the water; also by 

 putting up large screens to prevent the fish escaping, and catching them 

 with nets. The Mi/o-nkcs of I'rovte reply that by far tiie hirjj;-er number 

 of fishermen follow other occupations as well. More fish would be sold 

 in the bazar were it provided: the amount in the waters is said to be 

 increasing. The Extra Assistant Commissioner of Pantinaw replies — the 

 number of fishermen as given by the Myo-okes is 791, and they do not 

 pursue any other occupation; they are Taleins and Karens. The local 

 markets are fully supplied. Large fish sell jit lis. 15 per 100 viss, 

 .ind small at lis. 7. Fish have slightly increased of late years, 

 (• insideriiig the rate at which fish was sold last year (see answer from 

 llangoon, that it was an unusually favourable one), I may safely say 

 that the <piantity is dependant more on the rise of the waters: if 

 the catching of Nga-Tit or fish with spawn is prevented, it will no 

 doubt lead to the increase of fish. The niiuimiim interspace in weirs 



