164 Ceylon. 



Dried and salted fish are universally consumed by all classes of natives all over Ceylon. 

 Fresh fish find a ready market on the sea coast, but the want of means of quick transport 

 inland confines their consumption to a distance of a day's journey from the coast. 



The number of fishermen returned in the census of 1881 was 19,930, besides 1927 fish- 

 mongers and 334 workers of tortoiseshell. 



The fishmongers are many of them hawkers who buy the fish in market as soon as the 

 boats come ashore, and convey it inland for sale. 



When all the fisheries were a Government monopoly (1796-1840) the Colonial Govern- 

 ment used necessarily to take a more active part in their management and regulation than it 

 does now. At present, with the exceptions already noticed, the fisheries are entirely free and 

 untrammelled, but Government provides market buildings at all the important fishing ports. 



In 1866 the Government passed an Ordinance to prevent the wanton destruction of fish, 

 and in 1872 another Ordinance (No. 23 empowering village communities to make rules for the 

 local regulation of their fisheries, of which many villages have taken advantage. The 

 Government still appoints certain headmen who exert considerable influence amongst the 

 fishermen. 



The fishing industry is almost entirely in the hands of a peculiar caste called in Sinhalese 

 " Karawo," in Tamil " Karaiyar," or fisher caste, a considerable portion of which has joined the 

 Eoman Catholic Church. These continue to devote to the Church the tithe of fish which they 

 formerly rendered to Government. Caste feeling and the influence of their priests and headmen 

 supplies the want which co-operative and benefit societies are designed 'to fulfil amongst 

 Western peoples. The fishers are all closely related. Every large net or boat, and almost 

 every garden near the sea, is owned by several owners in common shares, and where suitable 

 fishing ground is small in area each net in the village is registered and drawn over it in its 

 appointed turn. The fisher caste is by no means confined to its hereditary calling ; it now 

 contains some of the wealthiest and most enterprising traders in the colony. 



The most pressing want at the present time is the establishment of large fish-curing 

 industries at the most important centres ; these would in time not only render Ceylon inde- 

 pendent of the import of dried fish, but place the colony in a position to export it, and thus 

 give rise to a trade which would be of the utmost advantage. 



The prescribed limits of this paper preclude a detailed description of the contrivance?, 

 often very extensive and ingenious, in use for the capture of fresh-water fish on the mainland, 

 and for the same reason all attempt to describe the remarkable peculiarities and habits of some 

 of the local species of fish has been omitted. Some of these will be found described in 

 Tennent's* Ceylon.' J. A. SWETTENHAM. 



DIVISION I. 



Model No. 9. Sinhalese, Karakgediya. Tamil, Karappu. A circular wickerwork coop, about 

 3 feet in height and about 5 feet in circumference at the bottom ; the circumference 

 diminishes towards the top, where it is only sufficiently large to admit a man's arm. It is 

 used in shallow water, and principally at night. A torch, or chool light, is carried in a boat, 

 while the coop is carried by a man wading in the water, who, when the fish, attracted by the 

 bright light, come near, drops the coop down on them, and then withdraws them through the 

 opening at the top. Model No. 10. Sinhalese, Iratiya. Tamil, Mm pidipei. This is a trap 

 somewhat similar to the " Karakgediya," but with no opening at the taper end. At this end 

 is a contrivance with a trap door, allowing easy entrance but difficult exit. It is fixed in 

 the narrow channels where water is drained from one land to another. Model No. 11. 

 Sinhalese, Kumbala Dela. Tamil, Kunibala Wali. This net is about 100 yards long and 

 6 yards in depth. It is cast about four miles out at sea, to catch a species of fish called Kuniba- 



flNDERSQN, ABBOTT, & ANDERSON 



fi@ 



Have the Largest and Best 

 selection of Water- 

 proof 





37, 



inLondon^ 



Bags and Valises for 

 Bicycling and Tricycling, 

 Lawn Tennis and Travelling. 

 QUEEN VICTORIA ST., LONDON, E.G. 



