September, 1908.] 



223 



Fibres, 



Another kind of net is the 'Jahal"; the 

 mesh of this net is2| inches. It is 210 feet 

 long and 24 feet broad and has very 

 small wooden floats attached longitudi- 

 nally, 10 feet apart along one edge of 

 the net, and a stronger rope passes along 

 the other edge. It is used in moderate- 

 ly deep water, for pomfrets and other 

 similar fish. Such a net costs from 8 to 9 

 rupees. 



" Airhhund " is a net of smaller dimen- 

 sions (36' X 18') and may be characterised 

 as a sweep net. It is used in shallow 

 water on the coast or in creeks. It is 

 dragged over the fishing ground by men 

 in boats or wading in water. Its mesh 

 is % inch. 



Another class of nets consists of the 

 '•' Pat/h" and "Asim." The first is circular 

 in shape, the diameter being about 18 

 feet. 



To its circumference are attached lead 

 weights, at short intervals. It may be 

 called the " Casting out" net, and is used 

 in shallow water, to catch small fish and 

 prawns. The mesh of the Pagh is £ 

 to 1 inch. 



The "xlssu" is a hand net similar to 

 the "doivV' net but with a wooden rim 

 (6 feet in diameter), and is employed on 

 the sandy coast for catching prawns 

 only. It may be called a dredge net. 

 The mesh of this varies from \ to £ 

 inch. 



Traps and spears are not used among 

 Koli fishermen. The hooks used are of 

 the ordinary description. The lines are 

 made of the fibre of Caryota urens and 

 that of Crolalaria juncea. The Agri- 

 cultural Ledger. 1905— No. 7. (Industrial 

 Series, No. 5.) 



