INDIAN FISH AND FISHING. 19 



well off. At Guzerat, in Bombay, the fishermen are poor, 

 and the precarious living they make often induces them to 

 accept service as sailors, labourers, or anything that ensures 

 them a steady competence. Although following out the 

 condition of the fishermen in various districts must have 

 rather a sameness, it will be necessary to do so in order to 

 clearly see whether these people are really in a prosperous 

 or in a poverty-stricken condition ; whether, in short, it is 

 the case a that they are in the utmost misery, not due to 

 their own laziness, but as a result of British legislation 

 imposing prohibitory duties on salt. In the Junjura dis- 

 trict, the fishermen supply themselves with boats and nets ; 

 six or ten club together to obtain a boat and net, dividing 

 the produce ; here they have decreased in numbers, at 

 least, up to the year 1873 when my inquiries terminated. 

 At Broach they are also said to have diminished. The 

 same report comes from Kaira. In Rutnagiri the practice 

 of salting fish has decreased during the last fifteen years, 

 in consequence of the increase in the price of salt, but the 

 fishermen are said to have increased. If, however, the 

 practice of curing fish has decreased, while the number of 

 fishermen has augmented, such must be due to a greater 

 demand for fresh fish, or else the fishermen, from increased 

 numbers, must be worse off than they previously were, or 

 be engaged in other occupations as boatmen. However, 

 the official from Kanara gives a similar reply. The Com- 

 missioner observed* that at present no larger number of 

 men are engaged on fisheries than are required to provide 

 sufficient for local consumption. The practice of curing 

 fish has to a great extent diminished, owing partly to the 

 falling off in the amount usually captured, and also the 

 duty charged on salt in British territory. 



In the Madras Presidency, we are informed that, in the 



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