INTBODUCTION. XXI 



The whole of the Egyptian Fisheries, whether in the Nile, the large lakes, the 

 irrigation-canals, or the ponds left by the receding Nile, is thus leased out by the 

 Government to companies or individuals. The same system has been adopted in the 

 Soudan, but not to the same extent as in Egypt, owing to the relatively small and 

 scattered population. At present there are halagers at Wady Haifa, Berber, Omdurman, 

 Duem, Goz abu Gumah, and even a small one at Fashoda. One occasionally comes 

 across curious characters amongst the natives employed at the various halagers. In 

 Cairo, at the Boulak fish-market, the auctioneer was a fine well-built old Arab who was 

 stone deaf, but this did not hinder him in the least from carrying out his duty, as he 

 followed the bidding by watching the lips of the buyers, and during several visits to 

 this halager I never saw the slightest hitch in the proceedings. He was an interesting 

 person in other ways, being reported to have married fifty-eight wives in the course of 

 his life. 



The Multazzims are of various nationalities, often Copts, who are a business-like set 

 of men. The revenues drawn from the Egyptian Fisheries are considerable and the 

 method of leasing them out seems to give general satisfaction to all concerned, 

 although during very low Niles the profits of the Multazzims are somewhat curtailed. 

 Since this was written the Government has made the fishing free to all, with the 

 exception of that taking place at the regulators. 



The methods of fishing adopted at Cairo were various, and I cannot do better than 

 give a description of those in general use, which one would see on the Nile anywhere 

 between the mouth and the First Cataract. The commonest net of all is a circular 

 throwing-net, commonly known to the Arabs as a " torraha " or " shabaka " (i. e. a net), 

 with an average circumference of about 50 feet and a half-inch mesh. The circumference 

 and the mesh vary a good deal, the latter from \ to -f of an inch, the small-meshed nets 

 being of course the more expensive. A strong cord is attached to the middle of the 

 net and a thin cord runs round the circumference. To the latter leads are attached, 

 about o inches apart, and it is looped up at every 18 inches to the inside of the net 

 at a height of about 6 inches, thus forming a series of pockets in which the fish not 

 otherwise entangled in the meshes get caught. Fish, with the exception of very large 

 ones, rarely escape under the edge of the net, as it is kept close to the ground by the 

 large number of weights. 



This net is the one most frequently used in Egypt and in the Soudan as far as 

 Omdurman ; in fact, wherever an Arab fisherman is found he is certain to have one of 

 these nets. It is used in the following manner (see Pis. A & B) : — The cord, and the 

 middle portion of the net to which it is attached, is gathered up in the right hand, 

 half the net now hanging down in front of the fisherman, who then throws the edge of 

 the net over his right elbow, which is held at right angles to the body, and gathers 

 up one half of the free portion in his left hand whilst the other half is left hanging 

 down in front of him. He is now ready to make a cast, and firmly planting his 



