cxlvii 



things, or injudiciously exterminate a natural source of food-supply, has 

 only existed, because, until now, there has not been a Government strong 

 or civilized enough to control it. Thus ( suttee/ ' thuggee/ ' human 

 sacrifices'' were all ' prescriptive rights' in their way, and had, moreover, a 

 certain amount of legal sanction, and yet, because they involved loss of 

 human life, they were very rightly swept away, and so can this right of 

 wanton destruction of human food be." (4) It is assumed that the 

 proved wasteful destruction of fish is a legal right obtained by license. 

 If the British law holds good, license gives no title, but is revocable at will 

 (see paragraph ] 2) . (5) That anyhow, it had better be left alone for political 

 reasons. If such reasons do not exist in the Panjab, it is remarkable that 

 they should in the North-West Provinces, more especially as the Superin- 

 tendent of the Doon reports that the native land-owners are carrying out 

 restrictive measures with great success. (6) That the remedies are 

 impracticable. This being a matter of opinion, I do not propose advanc- 

 ing my own in opposition to some of those which, have been adduced. 

 (7) That the police are such high-caste people, and .the subordinate 

 Datives, who would have to be employed, are so untrustworthy, they 

 would exercise unlimited extortion. This, being a matter of fact, must 

 likewise be left to the local officers, who have the supervision and control 

 over them. 



325. I will now enter upon what measures would doubtless prove 



most effectual, and I would suggest might be 

 carried out in the North- West Provinces. 



Fixed weirs, traps, or nets should be prohibited : in fishing-nets the 

 mesh should never be less than 1 inch between each knot ; damming 

 waters for fishing purposes, whether hill -streams or flooded fields, 

 should not be allowed; fish passes to be placed in all irrigation weirs, 

 and the destruction of fish in all canals prevented whilst the water is 

 not flowing; snagging or poisoning of waters be likewise interdicted, 

 and some pools in all hill and minor rivers to be kept solely for 

 anglers; no netting allowed within 200 yards of all weirs across 

 rivers ; vermin to be destroyed. As regards close months, if they are 

 instituted in the plains, the first two or three months of the monsoon 

 are considered the most appropriate, but, with the abolition of fixed 

 engines, &c., they might be dispensed with, at least for the present. In 

 the hills it is different, and from July 1st to October 1st are considered 

 the most appropriate months. 



326. As some officials oppose these steps, I would suggest, as an 



intermediate plan for the present, what 

 S ^ tsmporary might modify the evils which exist. No weirs 



or fixed engines of any description to be used in 

 the waters from June 1st to November 1st inclusive, but when permitted to 

 be so, such must be in writing as a license, and that they never have 

 less than 1 inch between the knots of the meshes of nets, or the interstices 

 of the substances of which they are composed : irrigation works, as in the 

 last pa.ragraph; damming, lading, diverting streams, or poisoning waters 

 for fishing purposes, to be prohibited : close months from net fishing to be 

 instituted in hilly districts for three consecutive months of which one 

 must be July to be selected by the local civil authorities; snagging' to 

 be abolished. 



