FISHERIES OF CHINA, 373 



are probably abundant there are all stagnant-water 

 fish, such as are found in the lake districts of Norfolk 

 and Suffolk. The fish which his Excellency pointed 

 were bream [Li-yu), carp {Neen-yu), perch, eels, roach, 

 and silurus. As regards salt-water fish, a species of cod 

 called shek-pan, and a flat fish called Tsang-yu. 



I was informed that fish were very much esteemed in 

 China, and formed a large proportion of the food of the 

 people, especially the poor. The price of them was one 

 and a quarter li for twelve cash, but I cannot reduce 

 this to an English standard. There is no legislation, 

 no close-time, mesh of nets, or any other restrictions 

 upon fishing in China. As far as I could make out, the 

 principal mode of catching fish was by fixed engines, 

 and if I understood right, stake-nets were greatly em- 

 ployed. These were often many miles in length, and 

 the fish entrapped in them were kept alive till required 

 for the markets. 



Fish culture is much carried on in private ponds and 

 lakes, and Dr. McCartney told me he had heard in 

 China that an acre of water, properly cultivated with 

 fish, was worth more than an acre of land, cultivated in 

 the ordinary manner. His Excellency informed me that, 

 although there was no close-time for fish in China, he 

 thought they were more or less j)rotected by natural 

 causes in the months of May and June, when they are 

 spawning; that is to say, by floods and inundations. 

 The principal fishings are carried on in the winter 

 time. 



Having placed a map of China before his Excel- 

 lency, he pointed out to me the big river called 

 Yang-tse-kiang, or Ta-king, which has a catchment basin 

 (or drainage area) of 742,000 square miles, whereas the 

 catchment basin of the Thames is 5,500 square miles. 



