Ixiii 



MADBAS. 



123. The following reports from the European and native officials 



of the Madras Presidency are mostly the 

 ^t of enquiries made in the years 1867, 

 68, 69, the questions circulated in 1871 having 

 only been replied to by two Collectors. As, 



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

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

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

 whilst in some they have been entirely omitted. 



124. The fresh-water fisheries of this Presidency may be divided 



into those of rivers and tanks in all their 



Thefresh-water fisheries being varioug formg and sub-divisions; some of 

 of rivers and tanks. , . , . , , 



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 Revenue Board (December 

 ]8th, 1869) : " Collectors will understand that these orders apply only to 

 tidal estuaries of considerable 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 large size observed in 



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



Madras rivers, few perennu eagt ag th Q. Brahmaputra, Irrawaddi, 



objections to instituting rules i o i T IP , 



respecting the fisheries. and Salween in Burma, and few retain a 



perennial supply of water. These rivers are 



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

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

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

 ble 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. Eespecting tank fisheries, those existing in inundated 



districts and in irrigated fields, the above- 



4tt ^i"^ quoted instructions (para. 123) direct that " it 

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



practice of catching fish in small tanks which 



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, what proportion of the people eat 



fish ? or perhaps, may do so without infringing 



Majority of people fish-eaters. cagte pre j u dices, 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 Brahmins, goldsmiths, high- 

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

 usually chosen in preference to the salted article, except in some 

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



