FISHING INDUSTRY OF KRIAN AND KURAU, PERAK. 115 



them, and the reptiles get good for a time, but it does not last 

 long. 



Like Telok Rubiah, the village has had to be moved a 

 great many times, owing to the encroachments of the sea. 

 The people in this fishing village are not charged house rent 

 by Government, nor does the farmer claim one-tenth the value 

 of the fish taken, as I suppose he might do if he liked. 



These fishermen were all originally agricultural Sinkheh 

 coolies, and, on their agreements expiring, took to this means 

 of making a living, not being strong men nor fitted for work 

 requiring much strength nor for carrying heavy weights. 



(NOTE. — For export returns see table at end.) 



Sun get Bharu. 



At Sungei Bharu there are only about twenty Chinese 

 fishermen, all prawn-catchers. There were many more for- 

 merly, and the people complain of the prawns having got 

 scarce lately. The export return is included in that of Tan- 

 jong Piandang. 



Bagan Tiang. 



At Bagan Tiang is a very small and miserable Chinese 

 fishing village of about fifteen houses. They are all Te-Chius, 

 and work six Pukat Lengkong and Siring Udang, and carry 

 fish to Parit Buntar for sale. There are only about thirty of 

 these fishermen. There are, however, 19 Blat Jernmal, 3 

 Blat Kombang, 1 Blat Telok, worked by Malays under 

 advances chiefly to Chinamen in Penang. There must 

 thus be a very considerable amount of fish taken here, 

 and the reason that the export return shows so little is 

 that it is only cured fish that is entered in the export 

 book, and nearly all the fish taken here is taken direct 

 from the Blats, &c, over to Penang, and sold fresh, it fetch- 

 ing a higher price than salt fish. Boats also come over from 

 Penang to the fishing stakes, and buy up all they can get and 

 run straight away with it. 



Some time ago a small steamer tried its luck in running 

 over here for fish, but I believe it was a losing venture. Some 



