THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[OCTOEER T, jg9i. 
2S« 
OUR FISHEIOIKN AND FISHERIES. 
Probably lew among ua have given mucli 
thougbt to our fisbtriuen and fieheriea, and to 
the important place aseigned to tiab as an article 
of food in South India, especially by dwellers 
in the towns and villages along the coael. It 
1 b only when the fish world is affected by some 
epideniio, as was reported to bo the case several 
years ago, and lish as an article of diet is pro- 
scribed (era briel space, that we realise the value 
of it as human (cod. Most of us know more of 
fishermen than fisheries, tor of them some stalistios 
are available, but of our fisheries, Oovertiraent 
has hitherto taken but little note, and wo search 
the “ Madras Manual" in vam (or Feme reliablo 
information ocnctrning them. 'Xhe fishing castes 
number about a million pev:.onB in rll, but those 
who live inland, far removed from sen and 
river, follow the ceeupation of huiitcrs, and, since 
they ounnot dcftioy the creaturea of the water, 
live by doetroying tlio creaturea of the land. 
The fiehermen sro known by many names, and 
their kingdom has been invaded by other castes, 
who also seek to seizs the triOEures iif the sea, 
but the Pattinavar arc (he originii fishermen, 
the real Simon I'lnc. They ate of an anoient 
Dravidian stock, and roprosent one of the most 
ancient types of civilisation to be feund among 
the dwfllera on the plains. Compared with (he 
Pattinavar, the rjot is a civilised and polislied 
gentleman, and his eccupation and implements 
of busbiindry represent a civilisation muny eni- 
turies in advanoe of that of the fisherman. The 
Pattinavar, as fishers and hunters, exhibit to us 
man in a state of mete animalism, preying npun 
other oteatures, and possessing but Intio more 
genius of an inventive or mechanical kind than 
is to bo found among birds or spiders, Even 
after the lapse of thousands of years, this is 
still true t( ihem ; they appear to have made 
hardly any advance, and their houses, clothing and 
eiiuipmem for their toil are generally as primitive 
as they were when the Aryans crossed the Vindbya 
Mountains. The houses are leaf huts, oousisliug 
of a circular mud wall some twn feet high, on 
which a palmyra ftamewerk with a cov.iing of 
palmyra leaves serves as a roof. To the lait 
there are no w.udowa, but only an opening f ir 
ingress and egress, which serves as a door The 
boat of the fisliermau is the kuitu manna, wliieh 
properly consists of five pieces ol wued ll ud 
close together and lied at the ends with rupe 
made of the fibre of the coconut tree. On this 
raft they uro perfectly at home, and guide it 
where they will by paddling, an I occaeioually by 
a brown sail of rough canvas. They make and 
mend their own nets, and tor ihia work their 
implements are of the eirapleet. 
The work of the fisheimon is hard enough, yet 
on these shores they are not exposed to eueh 
risks as beset the flslier in Western and North 
seas, and we rarely hear of deuths by drowning, 
or of Buoh calamities as happen, for example, to 
those engaged in heniug fishing. Probably no- 
whero iu the wide world can better swimmers be 
found than our India fishirn on ; they take to 
the water as naturally as ducks and from their 
ohildbcod are aoenstomed to go to sea on the 
katlH mamvi. The income of the fishermen is 
generally snffioient for their maintenanoe. and in 
the neighbourhood of Madras aud other large 
towns is abundant, and, if they were accustomed 
to cultivate habits of temperance and thrift, 
would amply suffice to secure for them many 
oomfortB in addition to tbo necessaries of lito, 
liut of all the Hindu castes, there are no more 
abject slaves to drink than they. Their digia- 
dation could hardly be more oompleto ilian it is, 
and toedydrinkiug is the cause of it ail. 'J'he 
Bbanar is tbeir destroyer, and quite recently when 
in one village there were eiguo that a number of 
men were making an attempt at total abstir.eice 
(fur to the Hiudu low castes moderation in 
drinking is impossibio), the bhanar visiied tlie 
huts uf the fiehermen, and appialed to th'm 
not to foreake him, promising to supply th. m 
gratia when they should come again. It is need- 
less to say that Pattinavar virtue is m t proof 
against an offer like this, viz , to be made drunk 
free of cost. Dy way of training the fisher-children, 
in drinking habits, the fathers bring them as mere 
infants to the toddy-shop, and they each receive 
free of cost fr.un the Bhanar a email draught 
of toddy, or if a small t.in-pot of regulation size 
bo brought, it is duly fill'd for the child at home. 
Thus liin continued lu n of the caste is scoured, 
anu life is shorn of all comfort, The fisherwomon 
arc for the most part coarse and unatiraoi.ve, 
aud grow prematurely old. It is a roro thing 
to see any of them really olesn and decently 
clad : theiv life is without adornment and full 
ot hard work. Surely the fish. girl from whom 
Vyasa, the Veda-moker, sprung was better looking 
than Pattinavar women are now-a-daya. S^vasa 
at least was better educated than are the children 
of our modem fishers, for wo find among them 
no schools, nor influences of any kind oaloula- 
ted to improve them aud eeoure their scoiul ad- 
vancement. And though they riokon K .nniymma 
as their deity, the toddy-Aiop may be said to 
bo their tompie. It is impiossiblo to avoid tbo 
regret, that a caste so anoieut, useful and 1 ard 
working ahould bo co completely unable to rise 
to a betler sneial condition. Po'yenmy is cern- 
mon among them, and married lile by no mciina 
all that it shculd be, and iu tha speech both cf 
men aud women, and in the games pl.iyed by 
their ohiutren, we hear the most indecent ex- 
pressions which the vcrnacu'ar can supply. If 
tlio headmen of the caste were intelligent and 
worthy enough, they should pass a law for the 
Pattinavar compelling the eduoation of all their 
children, and in a few years a wonderful change 
for tha better should he apparei t. They have 
the power to do this, but whether they have 
the public spirit and the requisite courage is 
another matter. 
Like our fishermen, our India fisheries receive 
but scant attention from Oovarnment. Statiaiioa 
of fisheries are nowhere very complete, but in- 
complete as th' y are, they suffioe to impicss cn 
us the fact that tlie sea makes large contribu- 
tion to the food-suppiy of llio world. In Imtiii, 
where we^ are continually experienciug tliffioulty 
in obtaining a sufficient food-snppl.v, it behoves 
Government to give special attention to every 
source from whence oontiihutions to it may be 
obtained. In a city like Madras the fisheries con- 
tribute Gtiormuusly to the foo(l-.‘upply, as may be 
ducoverad by a visit to tbo luoal Billingsgate, 
and an abundant supply of fish tends to ch. apen 
ficth as an article of diet. Though it may be 
B»id that there are no signs C'f famine in the 
sea, and that the fish-supply is by no means 
Ecat*y, it is worth considerii g whether the sup- 
ply cannot be made far more abundant, and 
the price cf food thereby considerably cheapened. 
We have no doubt but that this cap be d no. 
Among the non-European populiition, it may bo 
sail! that nearly all kinds oi fish, and th. y are 
vbry many, are eagerly oonsumed, and besides 
those which are eaten fresh, immense qu’tntities of 
salt-fish are also used. These find their way 
