Handbook of the federated Malay states - Sabrizain.org

134 Handbook of the
not, however, wholesome eating. Several kinds of fish are
also found in swamps and ponds, these being mostly caught
for food by the poorer classes of Malays. Every one in
Malaya has either seen or heard of the pugnacious Httle fish
called Karin. Malays rear these tiny things and have sport
out of them by matching them to fight each other, laying
bets on the result, which always means the death of one of
the tiny combatants if they are allowed to fight to a finish.
The drugging of fish by means of the tuba root, and then
spearing them as they fioated stupefied on the surface of the
water, used to be a common practice in Pahang, but is now
seldom had recourse to. A tuba fish is a stock entertainment
among Malay Eajas whenever they are visited by a Grovernor
or other exalted official. The use of both tuba and dynamite
for taking fish is now forbidden in this State.
The sea fisheries are, of course, more lucrative than the
fresh water ones, but the industry is one that only a few
Pahang Malays engage in. In fact, one can seldom see a
boat going out to sea with a crew composed solely of natives
of the country. The men employed in the sea fisheries are
principally Kelantan and Trengganu Malays, numbers of
whom enter Pahang at the beginning of the season, and
who, in many cases, settle here permanently.
The sea fishery brings in a fair revenue to Government,
as the boats are licensed, a sliding scale of dues being in
force. There is also an export duty of 12J cents per pikul
payable on all fish sent out of the country. In cases where
fishing stakes are used at sea, a small monthly charge is
levied. A fairly large quantity of salted and dried fish is
exported annually from the coast districts of Pahang, but
this branch of the fishing industry has not yet reached such
proportions as is the case in Trengganu and Kelantan, from
which States a considerable business is done in this line.
The principal fishing settlements in Pahang are at
E/ompin, Kuala Pahang, Penoh, Berserah and Grebing
all on the coast. Of these the most important is Berserah,
in the Kuantan district. The Kuala Pahang fishermen are
almost entirely occupied in supplying fresh fish to Pekan, the
former capital of the State and still the Sultan's Seat, and
the rapidity with which boatloads of fish are there bought
up for local consumption is remarkable. At Kuala Pahang,
both nets and lines are the methods employed, the boats used
being the koleh., a small boat with a crew of three, and,
during rough weather, the jalak^ a large seaworthy boat
measuring about 30 feet long by 10 feet beam. There are
—