A History of Agriculture in India v2.c69.s3: Aquatic Animals
A History of Agriculture in India v2.c69.s3
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Aquatic Animals
v2.c69.s3.1
Alligator, water-hog, gharial, fish and frogs.
v2.c69.s3.2
One is the water-tiger (P. shīr-ābī, Crocodilus palustris). This is in the standing-waters. It is like a lizard. People say it carries off men and even buffaloes.
v2.c69.s3.3
‘The siyāh-sār (black-head) is another. This also is like a lizard. It is in all rivers of Hindustan. One that was taken and brought in was about 4-5 qārī (c. 13 feet; 4 m) long and as thick perhaps as a sheep. It is said to grow still larger. Its snout is over half a yard (45 cm) long. It has rows of small teeth in its upper and lower jaws. It comes out of the water and sinks into the mud.
v2.c69.s3.4
‘The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is another. It is said to grow large; many in the army saw it in the Saru (Gogra) river. It is said to take people; while we were on that river’s banks, it took one or two slave-women and it took three or four camp-followers between Ghazipur and Banaras. In that neighbourhood I saw one but from a distance only and not quite clearly.
v2.c69.s3.5
‘The water-hog (Platanista gangetica, the porpoise) is another. This also is in all Hindustan rivers. It comes up suddenly out of the water; its head appears and disappears; it dives again and stays below, shewing its tail. Its snout is as long as the siyāh-sār’s and it has the same rows of small teeth. Its head and the rest of its body are fish-like. When at play in the water, it looks like a water-carrier’s bag (mashak). Water-hogs, playing in the Saru, leap right out of the water; like fish, they never leave it.
v2.c69.s3.6
‘Again there is the kalah (or galah)-fish (baligh). Two bones each about 3 inches (7.6 cm) when taken, produce an extraordinary noise; whence, seemingly, people have called it kalah.
v2.c69.s3.7
‘The flesh of Hindustan fishes is very savoury; they have no odour. They are surprisingly active. On one occasion, when people coming had flung a net across a stream, leaving its two edges half a yard (45 cm) above the water, most fish passed by leaping a yard (90 cm) above it. In many rivers are little fish which fling themselves a yard or more out of the water if there be harsh noise or sound of feet.
v2.c69.s3.8
'The frogs of Hindustan, though otherwise like those of other countries, run 6 or 7 yards (5.5 to 6.4 m) on the face of the water.'¹
v2.c69.s3.9
¹ *Babur-nama*, pp. 488-503