Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/376

 368 SIT Fish. The Collector of Sitapur says young fish are caught, but not to any great extent; they are taken by damming in the smaller streams during the dry weather, and in irrigated fields during the rainy season. The minimum size of the mesh of nets employed is about a quarter of au inch ; no difficulty exists in regulating its size, which might be fixed at one inch. He opposes altogether prohibiting the sale of the fry of fishes, observing no real harm is done by catching young fish in tanks, jhils, or irrigated fields, for these fish, if left alone, wonld never find their way back to the river.' Captain Thompson, in 1868, reported from this place—“ fishing goes on at all seasons of the year, and there can be no doubt that in the small rivers and tanks the supply would be materially increased by a short close time.' Still I hardly think that the protection is necessary in the large rivers. But the parrow and ghal- low streans of this district can be well pigh cleared of fish with the net, and the supply is scanty in consequence. In such rivers the protection of the spawning fish would, no doubt, have a very good effect.”—Para. 283," Francis Day's Fresh-water fish and fisheries Indict and Burma." “At Sitapur the native official observes tha tthe Kahárs and Guryas take fish at certains times, but their regular occupation is agriculture. The local markets are not fully supplied. Large fish obtain two annas, small ones one anna a ser, mutton two annas a ser. He is unalıle to give the proportion of fish-eaters. The general opinion is that fish have increased, due to several consecutive years of foods. The smallest size of the inesh of nets is given at a quarter of an inch. Fish are trapped during the rains in the irrigated fields. The native names of the nets and traps in use are pandi jal, locari jal, maha jal, kłtaria jol, patic jab, pailna jal; tapa jal." Manufactures. —The only manufactures of any note are those of smoking tobacco and tázias at Biswán, with a little cotton printing and weaving in Bigwán, Khairabad, and generally in all the towns. In Biswán there are one hundred houses of weavers; the same remarks as those already made about Bara Banki weaving apply to Sitapur, except that country thread has not been so entirely displaced in the latter district. The same con- plaints are beard that cotton is dearer, and that English cloths have now lowered the price offered for the local products. Native thread sells here for Re. 1-4-0 to Re. 1-8-0 per ser ; English from Rs. 2 to. Rs. 2-8-0. No emigration of the distressed weavers from this neighbour hood has as yet taken place. Roads aggregate, length 266 miles...-Like all other districts in the pro- vince, Sitapur is well provided with good unmetalled roads, running in all directions, and generally carried over the smaller streams by bridges, many of which were built before we took the country. In addition, there is the fine metalled high road from Lucknow going on to Sháhjahanpur.; travellers from cither of which cities reach Sitapur in eight or nine hours by post chaise or dåk gari. Hardoi is a 12 hours' joumey to the west of Sitapur by palanquin post, and a similar means of locomotion takes the traveller in pine hours to Lakhimpur in the north.