INTRODUCTION. 
IX 
It may, then, with safety be asserted, that amongst the animal products of Malabar its fish are 
exceedingly valuable, and their capture even now gives employment to large numbers of fishermen 
along the coast and backwater; whilst further inland the slave castes obtain much nutriment from 
those which they catch early in the morning and late in the evening, when not employed in agricul¬ 
tural labour. On the Travancore hills the Rev. Henry Baker states that in some of the deep pools 
in the rivers, the numbers of large Cyprinidae are surprising; hundreds on hundreds are killed by 
striking them at night with knives as they rise to a torch held close to the surface of the water. 
Some fish are mostly eaten fresh, some are preferred salted, others are employed in the arts, 
in manufactures, or in medicine. The roes of the large Mullets and of the small Hemiramphi 
are considered great delicacies, either fresh, salted, or dried. The best Tamarind fish is prepared 
from the Seir fish and from the Lates calcarifer, a rather inferior quality from the Polynemus, and 
the most common from any kind of fish. The process is as follows :—The fish is boiled, then its 
bones are removed ; it is next cut into thick shoes, and having been highly spiced, is left to soak 
for some days, and subsequently packed in jars. It is held in great estimation in the East. 
In ancient times the “ Meen Kodak” or “ Fish Standard” was the symbol of the kings of 
Pandya, the rulers of Malabar, who up to recent times received tribute from the Rajahs of 
Travancore. This device may Still be traced on many of the copper coins which pass current in 
the country, whilst the same design it is well known exists upon Buddhist seals. To this day the 
Rajpoots are said to have a fish carried before their most illustrious chieftains when setting out 
on important expeditions. Even witchcraft claims its share in the finny tribes, and the fortunate 
possessor of the tail of a Ray, Trygon uarnak, with its spine intact, is believed to be safe from the 
effects of spells and charms, as well as able to face the “ evil eye” with impunity. 
Fish are kept as objects of adoration by pious Hindus, being held typical of Vishnu, wdio in 
this form is considered to have rescued the Vedas from the waters of the flood. 
Catching a fish is asserted to be still one of the ceremonies at the nuptials of Konkanie Brah¬ 
mans, typical of the fact that they were originally fishermen before the attainment of their present 
dignity of Brahmans. The adherents to various religious creeds show antipathies to particular 
tribes; high caste Hindus of course abjure the use of all, and almost as zealously do the Jews and 
Mahomedans refrain from the Rays, Skates, Eels, and the scaleless families. 
No form of animal food is more common in Malabar, for it is palatable to both Europeans and 
Natives : indeed, without its presence the Native Christians consider their curries to be imperfect. 
Light and easy of digestion, strengthening and savoury, no wonder that it is so highly esteemed. 
The flesh of sharks and rays are salted, and find a ready sale in inland places, as they are con¬ 
sidered especially desirable for women soon after childbirth. The fins of the sharks are dried, 
and find their way to China, whilst even the bones of some (the Mass) are boiled down for gelatine. 
To the medical profession the subject of the effect of a fish diet upon the health of a 
large population offers a wide field for investigation. A few species are observed to be highly 
indigestible, or even poisonous, as the Tetraodons, known as “ sea porcupines” to Europeans, 
