September i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
293 
CEYLON FISHERIES. 
From the report of Mr. Steele on the Hambantota 
district for 1868, we make some further quotations 
in connection with the fisheries off the Southern coast 
of Ceylon :— 
73. The sea which bounds the district to the south 
abounds in fish. More advantage might be taken than 
is at present the case, in turning this valuable store- 
house of food to account, especially in the curing of 
fish which, as salt of the best quality is obtainable 
here, might be prepared and sent inland in very 
large quantities. A great demand for cured sea-fish 
always exists inland, as it is a prime requisite in 
the making of curry, the universal dish of the country. 
River fish is, as a general rule, reckoned unwholesome 
in Ceylon. Canoes, each holding four men, come all 
the way from Dodanduwa, Dewundara and Gandara, 
to fish off Hambantota and Tangalla, and the inter- 
mediate coast. Huiing the North-East monsoon, many 
hoats also go to Patnangala,* a rocky headland, a few 
miles to the west of Yala (not far from where the 
Menikganga, the Jewel River, empties itself into the 
sea.) There they build huts to shelter themselves, 
and continue fishing for many weeks together, salt- 
ing what they catch, or drying it in the sun, until a 
goodly supply has been secured. They then set sail 
for Hambuntota and elsewhere, to sell their stock. 
The buyers here hand over their purchases, after 
making a very liberal profit, to the tavalain-men, who 
carry the fish to Uva district. Welipatanwila, a 
village in Giruwa Pattu, about two miles west of the 
mouth of the Walawe river, is inhabited exclusively 
by fishers, a robust and healthy race of men, and is 
noted for the abundance and excellence of the fish 
captured in its waters. 
[Para. 74 has been already quoted in our article.— Ed.] 
75. In connection with Hambantota, there are at 
present six boats used, with dragnets, and about twelve 
with the small nets. ' Of the small nets, besides the 
four sorts enumerated above the Patabcudi Arachchi 
of this place, the chief Fisher Headman here, informs 
me four other descriptions are in use, namely lagu 
del, ilii, ''am, and wara del. The last named is made 
of the fibre of the hemp bush, which grows plenti- 
fully on the sea shore. The thread is extremely 
tough, and makes admirable pack-thread. During the 
mouth of March, 1SG9, -it is worthy of note, no fewer 
than seventeen sword-fish— one, eleven and a half feet 
long and five and a half in girth, have been caught 
and brought into Hambantota Bay; and of sharks 
Of all sizes about two hundred. The hammer-headed 
shark is also caught, and so is the spotted species, 
but neither is very common. Close in shore sharks 
have UOver been known, so the fishermen here assert, 
to d 1 any harm to human beings. When fresh fish 
are brought ashoro here, the Patabendi Arachchi con- 
ducts tho sale immediately held on behalf of the 
* This bold and conspicuous rod;, called Little 
Elephant Rock in the Admiralty Charts, is believed 
to owe its Sinhalese name, Patnangala, or (Hy pereili 
or fcran n oition), Nampatgnla, "The Hock of the Be- 
ttowal of Titles," to the ceremony of the investiture of 
native chieftains] by tho ancient kings, having taken 
place at or near tho spot. All round, the scattered 
piles of rock, now, by the way, the chosen haunt of 
bears, are very romantic looking. Two remarkable 
ir.miti, or caverns for holding fresh water, are to be 
found on one of them. Not tar away is Akaieclmitya, 
"The Temple in thi Sty' a very striking object in 'tho 
Ilknriacapc. The magnificent park. like plain of Butawa 
■trot'-lics hotwecn the two. Ayll, a beautiful tree 
much resembling myrtle, which,' when burnt, yields 
a sweet perfume, is plentiful hereabouts. In April, 
tho jungle* abound with star jasmine, with profusion 
of now-white blossoms of tho dulioatcst pcrfumo. 
7 I 
shareholders, the four canoemen, and receives one 
twentieth of the proceeds for soiling and collecting 
the money. Long ago, before the abolition of the 
tax-, it appears, the share appoitioned to the Fisher 
Headmen was one-twentieth. The four canoemen share 
and share alike. In the case of the drag-nets, the 
owner of the net (which is a costly affair, worth, with 
the boat, £15 to £20) takes the whole, giving the canoe- 
men, and the people who drag, such share as he 
pleases. The people who drag the net are of all ages 
and sizes; audit is amusing to see litile boys, with- 
out a rag of clothing, rushing home well pleased with 
two' or three small fish, the reward of their valuable 
assistance ! A great deal of shouting always goes on 
as the net is dragged ashore ; and towards this part 
of the entertainment the throats of the young people 
no doubt contribute largely. 
76. Amaduwa (which means 'turtle Island, though 
the first half of the word is Tamil, and the latter 
Sinhalese— perhaps a token of the intermixture of races 
here in ancient times) is about two miles from Palatu- 
pana, and about twenty-seven from Hambantota, 
and is noted for tho abundance of turtle frequenting 
tho place. It is no longer an island, sand having 
drifted up and connected it with the shore. Much 
of the tortoise-shell, wrought up so largely in Ceylon 
into various articles, was formerly, I understand, ob- 
tained from this place. Turtles corne at regular seasons 
and in great numbers to the sea shore near Hambantota 
to deposit their eggs in the sand. It is considered 
highly irreligious to kill them by the Sinhalese. 
CAS U AETNA CULTIVATION. 
We learn that some of the members of the Eurasian 
Association and their friends have taken steps to 
start a casuarina plantation Company, and that it is 
to be worked on the joint stock principle. The Com- 
pany is not a large one and it is intended to work the 
land which the Eurasian Association has lately bought 
at Kollady, the value of the land being paid in full 
or taken on rent. The cultivation of casuarina in 
parts of Madras and Chingleput district has turned 
out pretty well, but in all cases where these under- 
takings were managed by joint stock Companies they 
went to the wall. We may allude to one or tw o un- 
dertakings to show that casuarina plantations, tbou-h 
managed with some economy by Hindu projectors, 
did not pay. Two Companies were some years ago 
started iu Madras for the purpose of growing casua- 
rina. They were started with fair success, but in a 
few years when the trees were coming on and they 
needed a little care, funds were not available and 
the labor of two or three years went for nought. 
This is one of the rocks tbat tho proposed Company 
must avoid. The undertaking, if carefully manae d. 
wdl give good returns. The hundreds of acres of land 
in Madras, Pulicat, Commando], Cuttewak, Sadias, 
and along the railway lines planted with casuarina 
are ample proofs that its cultivation ought to be en- 
couraged and that a well managed business will pay 
fairly well. There is no doubt, that the failures we 
bavo alluded to were the result of defective working. 
The Com[ 'auy which is to bo started may have many 
dilliculties to contend with : thero may be failures at 
the outset, but with p rsevcrance, success will eoiuo. 
Certain persons who profess to know a good deal of 
cusuarina planting have (applied the projectors of 
tho undertaking with information which shows that a 
plantation well managed will produce results that 
ought to (atisfy tho most speculative ambition. But 
the projectors of this Company are not likely to bo 
deluded into the belief that a casuarina plantation, 
though a Dbod speculation, will be a sourco of uu- 
failing wealth. — Madias Standard. 
