493 



the straits with the monsoon, or rather wuli the 

 current induced by its \oug contiiiuaiu p* come m 

 contact with the row oi stakes which impedes 

 their proj^ress. They consequently swim along- 

 side of it, until they arrive at the treacherous in ^^ 

 which admits them within the enclosure, and 

 from the top of which a huge net ha*; been sunk 

 into the water. When the fkhermen c^ieeive 

 that a sufficient number of ftsh have been decoy- 

 ed inside, the Mt, or net, is drawn, and encloses 

 within its meshes every thing within its sweep. 

 This is done two or three times during the night, 

 and the boats generally pull in for shore about 

 six o clock in the morning. A few continue the 

 fishing by day in order to fmnish the tables of 

 the EiHOpeans, (for they themselves can no long- 

 er be classed as such), with Lh, It is a singa- 

 lar circumstaDce that the stakes which open to 

 the westward, or towards the head of the Bay of 

 Bengal, are the most productive. 



A great many curious specimens of the finny 

 tribe are said to be repeatedly brought up in 

 these indiscriminate hauls, but the people can 

 never be persuaded to bring these to land. 1 

 have repeatedly offered to pay them a higher 

 price for this descriplitni ol iish iluui they could 

 obtain for others for a more marketable quality ; 

 but, as 1 never succeeded, 1 am inclined to be 

 either sceptical on this head, or to attribute my 

 disappointment to a superstitious leeliug on their 

 parts. 



The Portuguese^ who have been thus toiling all 

 night, divide their day between gambling, drink- 

 ijig, smoking, and sleeping, in the three first of 



