112 FISHING INDUSTRY OF KRIAN AND KURAU, PERAK. 



Tel ok Rubiah. 



Telok Rubiah, situated on the coast about 6 or 8 miles 

 to the South of Kwala Kurau, is a small fishing village of about 

 eighteen houses, some of which are, however, unoccupied at 

 present, with about thirty-five or forty fishermen — Hokkiens. 

 The oldest inhabitant, Kow CHUNG, the farmer, has lived there 

 for twenty-four years. He states that the fish has been scarce 

 for about two and-a-half years, but he has known this happen 

 before several times, the fish coming and going. Some of the 

 people have, in consequence, gone to Pangkor (Dindings), 

 Bernam, and Lower Perak, until good times return. Before, 

 there were thirty or thirty-five Pukat Hanyut nets here, but 

 now there are only seventeen or eighteen. The people here 

 only use Pukat Hanyut and Blat Langei, no other Blats 

 or Jerumals ; they also use the Siring Udang a good deal. 



The sea here is constantly encroaching, washing away 

 the land. During Kow CHUNG'S time, the site of the village 

 has had to be shifted four times, being gradually washed away, 

 and they will have soon to move again for the fifth time. 



There is no river or stream here, and, after their supply of 

 rain water, kept in tubs, has given out in the dry season, they 

 bring water either from Matang, Larut, or Pulau Jerejak, 

 Penang. The health of the fishermen, like that of those at Kwala 

 Kurau, is very good, the abominable smells proceeding from 

 the fish and prawns in process of being cured, and more es- 

 pecially from the manufacture of Blachan ) and in the thick of 

 which they live and sleep, having no neutralising effect on the 

 really healthy out-at-sea part of their lives. I think China- 

 men like smells, and that they do them good. I have felt be- 

 fore now considerable inconvenience when three miles to lee- 

 ward of one of these fishing villages, and I unpleasantly re- 

 membered my two hours' sojourn in the close atmosphere of 

 Kow Chung's house, surrounded with packages of blachan, 

 &c, for days afterwards. 



The people here pay no rent to Government for the 

 land on which their houses are built; it would be hard if they 

 did, seeing that the sites of their houses are washed away every 

 few years. Neither do they pay one-tenth of the value of their 



