Page:Indian Shipping, a history of the sea-borne trade and maritime activity of the Indians from the earliest times.djvu/158

 The kind and degree of the maritime activity of the period will be evident from the various kinds of port-taxes that were levied. Thus villages on sea-shores or on the banks of rivers and lakes had to pay regularly a fixed amount of tax. Fishermen had to yield one-sixth of their haul as fees for fishing license. Merchants also had to pay the customary tax levied in port towns. Passengers arriving on board the State or the king's ship had to pay the fixed and requisite amount of sailing fees. State boats were also let out to those who wanted to use them for pearl-fishery or for fishing for conch shells, and they had to pay the required amount of hire ; but they were also free to use their own boats for the purpose. Besides these taxes payable to the Port Commissioner, there were the various sorts of ferry fees, which are also very interesting and equally indicative of a brisk trade and a throbbing commercial life. A man with a minor quadruped carrying some load had to pay a ferry