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Foniainlrr Collection of Hmvaiiaii Folk-lore. 



rope. This is done to scare the lislies of the sea/" The method df fishing is done in 

 this way: The ki leaves and net are placed in two canoes. Most of the people are on 

 shore pullino^ the ki leaf rope, and some in canoes. Thus the fish are driven to a suitable 

 place where the net is ]3ayed out. Many kinds of fish are caught by this method of 

 fishino\ 



4. Kira'aa net. It is a large net, and three are used in this method of fishing. 

 Each is twenty fathoms long-. Three canoes are emj^loyed; one canoe is loaded with 

 stones and two with nets. One canoe pays out its net, and so does the other, in op- 

 posite direction. Then the canoes curve and go inland as the big stones are being 

 thrown down. In this method many fishes are caught. 



5. Lare^e-mouth net. This has ai)])liances called pula.'''" which means, a rope 

 twenty fathoms long, the liala"^ leaves and akia''' being the /^iila, which are set one foot 

 a]iart. These f^ulas are forty in number, and in some cases more are used. These are 

 used to drive the fish to where the net is located. With this net of the fisherman, the re- 

 sourcefulness of man is made aj^parent. The net is first located at rough or bad places, 

 where the fish mainly gather, and left there. Then the f>itla is drawn, and the fish, on 

 seeing it, run to the rough place and are all caught in the net. 



6. Hanging net. Three canoes are em])loyecl for this net, one for actual fish- 

 ing and two to carry the nets. One canoe, which is the one on the right-hand side, carries 

 the bag, the other canoe is the one on the left-hand side. [In setting the nets] the belly 

 of the net forms the juncture of the two nets. At the mouth of the side nets the fisher- 

 men dive toward the middle, driving the fish away back in the bag and are thus caught. 



7. Pakuikiii net. It is the same net as above, with a bag, Init with dilTerent 

 o])erations. Poles four fathoms long are used. When the net is cast at its located place. 



"In both km and bag-net fishing very fine-mesh nets 

 are used. The hu is a rope with dry ti leaves — three 

 or four — strung in it at intervals according to size. For 

 convenience in liandling, this rope is formed of ten 

 fathom lengths, and when the ti leaves are inserted each 

 length is called a kuiiiiu Uni. There may be as many 

 as ten lengths used in fishing for ohnas. depending on 

 the number of people participating, but not less than 

 four, one being required at each end of the lau and 

 one at each end of the net. At first the kumii laus 

 are joined in the center, which point is marked by a 

 slender stick some six feet long of about an inch in 

 thickness, called kuku. The laus which up to this time 

 have been dragged along in a bunch are then payed 

 out from this central point, each leader going in an 

 opposite direction. The others divide, half going to one 

 side and half to the other of the kuku. for the purpose 

 of pressing down the leafed rope and at the same time 

 pushing it forward. Having come to the end of their 

 respective laus the leaders work forward and gradually 

 form a semicircle with the whole lau. On arriving at 

 a suitable place for laying the net, the head fisherman 

 takes hold of the kuku and shoves it into the sand, 

 or rock, whicli is the signal to stop pulling for a wliilc. 

 The shock of tlie kuku digging into the sand is felt all 

 along the lines. .All halt in their places. The kuku is 

 then pulled out, parting the kviiiu laus, each of whicli 

 is attached to the mouth of the net. The net is carried, 

 partly dragged, in the water by two men, who follow 

 the middle of the lau as shown by the kuku. When 

 the head fisherman signals to cease pulling awhile, the 

 net is spread out in position and the kuniu /ini.r are 

 attached to it on either side of tlie mouth. .At a given 



signal the leaders of the laus come together ; the loiiii 

 laus, those who press the leaves down, then work for- 

 ward so that in a short while the two sides form the 

 fence to a pathway leading straight to the mouth of the 

 net. When the two leaders come together they press 

 the leaves towards the net. This is usually done by 

 one of them grabbing the two ropes which form the 

 fence above referred to and bringing them together., 

 tluis driving the fish towards the net. This is the cru- 

 cial moment and has to be done quickly so as to give 

 tlie fish no time to come back after striking the net. 

 Care must also be taken that the laus do not form 

 "pockets" along their lengths lest the fish circle round 

 in them and dive under them. The head fisherman 

 meanwhile watches the mouth of the net and when no 

 more fish appear the net is raised. In the daytime this 

 method of fishing is called lau ohua. Oliua, puaula, 

 hiuali-a.wckc, piia oio, kuutu, luoaiw and other fish which 

 abound in moss-covered shoals are gathered. In the 

 nighttime this same kind of fishing is called laualii. 

 Larger fish are caught such as kuiuu, puaula, moano, 

 'a'ckc. ucnnc, uku, lobsters and eels. Daytime fishing of 

 the above on a large scale often going beyond tlie reef 

 into the deep sea is called lau Iclc. The method of 

 lishing is the same but it is more laborious. 



"Properly the word t^ula applies to the lau portion 

 adjoining the net collecting the driven fish; the clusters 

 of hala and akia at regular spaces on the ropes arc 

 termed the lau as in tlie lau net already described 



"'Hala (Paudaiius odoialissiiiius). 



".4kia ( H'ikslntriuia), of whicli there are several va- 

 rieties. 



