FISHING INDUSTRY OF KRIAN AND KURAU, PERAK. I 07 



of the six men stops in the house and salts and dries the fish, 

 cooks the food, &c. The cost of the house, net and boats 

 amounts to about $350, and the owner mentioned above owns 

 the whole concern, including all furniture, tubs, &c. 



In good seasons one net [Pukat Lengkong) can get fifty 

 or sixty pikuls of salt fish in a month, but in bad seasons 

 as little as eight or ten pikuls. 



The fish is classed for export in three classes : — 

 No. 1. — Dried prawns, which fetch from $7.50 to ^io.ooper pkl. 

 ,, 2. — Large dried salt fish fetch from $3.00 to § 7.00 ,, 

 ,, 3. — Small dried saltfish (for manure) §0.85 to § 1.30 ,, 



Blachan, ... $1.50 to $ 2.50 ,, 



Prawn shell manure, about 50 cents per pikul. 



The fish manure is sold to sugar planters for manuring the 

 sugar-cane, and the prawn shell manure is chiefly used for 

 manuring nutmeg trees, &c. 



The men are nearly all opium-smokers, but are extreme- 

 ly healthy and of fine physique, as men employed on the 

 sea generally are; and there is a total absence of those nasty 

 sores and ulcers on the legs, &c, so common among the 

 agricultural and mining coolies. 



The fishing is at its best during the 10th, nth and 12th 

 and 1st Chinese moons, roughly, from November 3rd to March 

 12th, i.e., during the North-East Monsoon, when it is fine, dry 

 weather with but little wind or storms and waves to interrupt 

 operations. The fishing is at its worst during the 5th, 6th and 

 7th moons, roughly, from June 9th to September 5th, i.e., 

 during the South-West Monsoon, when it is very wet and 

 windy. Every month no fishing with pukat lengkongs can be 

 carried on between the 13th and 21st of the Chinese moon, 

 and between the 28th and 5th, i.e., during the high spring 

 tides; but between the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th plenty of 

 fish are to be got in the jerumals and blats, but not in the 

 pukais (both kinds). There is thus a period varying from 

 sixteen to eighteen days every month during which these nets 

 cannot be used. 



Generally speaking, the higher the tides get the less fish are 

 to be found. During these periods of enforced idleness the 



