INDIAN FISH AND FISHING. 9 



amount of this antiseptic than they do of monopoly salt, or 

 nearly three (upwards of 2J) parts of salt earth to one part 

 of fish. This cost of salt, it will be perceived, must have a 

 direct bearing upon the usefulness of the fisheries ; where it 

 is cheapest (other things being equal) the fisherman's trade 

 will be most developed. Along the coasts of Beloochistan, 

 where there was no salt-tax (1873), large communities were 

 entirely supported by fisheries, their captures being cured 

 and exported for the Indian or Chinese markets. The 

 same remark applied to the Portuguese settlements of Goa, 

 Daumaun, and Diu, the salt used there costing about three- 

 pence per 82| lb. weight, whereas in the contiguous British 

 territory it stood at the salt-pans at about four shillings. 

 Hence the foreign fishermen were able to freely use this 

 condiment; the cured article was preserved in a superior 

 manner, more wholesome to the consumer, and able to be 

 carried further inland. 



The following return shows the amount of dried and salt 

 fish (in maunds) despatched inland from Bombay and other 

 stations on the Grand Trunk Peninsular Railway, for ten years 

 ending 1881, and shows how the trade is developing : — 



1872—21,837 Maunds. 



1873-22,839 



1874 — 20,608 



1875— 25,, 5,63 



1876 — 23,690 



1877—25,718 

 1878—33,916 

 1879-35,885 



1880 — 42,011 

 1881 — 45,192 



A few years since, fisheries thrived along the Beloo- 

 chistan coast and the Portuguese settlements, due to the 

 excise on salt being not excessive or entirely absent. In 



