254 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



than the other, with a little ringed knob on the smaller end to tie a 

 string to. This club, when prepared with the proper attention to the 

 usual lucky or unlucky superstitious common to Hawaiian fishermen, 

 is then slightly charred over a regulation fire. "Kukui"-nut meat and 

 cocoa-nut in equal quantities are first baked, i^ounded, and tied up iu a 

 wrapping of cocoa-nut fiber (the sheath around the stem of a cocoa-nut 

 leaf), and the fishermen then start on a canoe for the fishing-grounds. 

 This should be iu water not deeper than 4 or 5 fathoms. Arrived there 

 the dccoj^ is then greased with the oily juice of the pounded nuts and 

 dropped overboard and allowed to hang suspended a few feet from the 

 bottom. The scent of the baked nut meat diffusing through the water 

 seems to have a powerful attraction for some kinds of fish, which sur- 

 round the stick, seeming to smell or nibble at it. After awhile the 

 bag-net is dropi)ed over with its mouth open towards the stick, when 

 the latter is moved gently into it, the fish still surrounding and follow- 

 ing it into the net. Two persons then dive and, approaching the net 

 gently, quickly close its mouth and give the signal to those in the canoe 

 to haul it up. 



The "hano" is a large bag net of very fine mesh, with a flaring mouth, 

 used to capture flying fish. There are two varieties of flying-fish here, 

 entirely distinct from each other. The same net and method of capture 

 is also employed for the "iheihe," a long thin fish, usually 1^- feet iu 

 length, with a very sharp-pointed snout, that generally arrives here at 

 about the same time as the large flying-fish. The "hano" is also occa- 

 sionally employed for the "akule," another fish that arrives in schools. 



For catching the large flying-fish the "hano"' is piled on a double 

 canoe or large single one, and a start is made early in the morning with 

 an attending fleet of from twenty to forty canoes. Women very often 

 go in this kind of fishing to help paddle the canoes, as no particular 

 skill is called for on the part of the general hands, the success of the 

 fishing dc])ending altogether on the good ju.lgment and sight of the 

 lookout. This person is generally on a light canoe manned by only 

 two or three hands, and he is standing up always on the cross-ties of 

 the canoe looking for the fish. Whenev^er he discerns a strong ripple he 

 points it out to the rest of the canoes, who then surround the spot indi- 

 cated while he confers with the head fishermen about the best place to 

 drop the net, which depends upon which way the current sets. When 

 the net is all ready the canoes paddle very quickly in towards it, 

 splashing the water and driving the fish before them into the open net. 



It seems that these fish will not dive to any depth, and are always 

 found swimming very near the surface, so that, when completely sur- 

 rouiub'd by canoes, they can be driven wherever wanted. The fleet 

 very often goes several miles out to sea ; and this fishing is called "blue- 

 sea fishing." 



The "kolo" is the largest of all the nets, and can be used only iu a 

 very few places, like the harbor of ITonolulu, I'uuloa, &c. It is an im- 



