reef and vie noted that the natives had a special instriment which consisted of a small 

 sharp-pointed steel hook fastened in the end of a stick approximately 12 inches long 

 which was used for jerking lobsters out of their holes in the rocks. Ihey also make an 

 unusual type of spear which consists of a light steel rod approximately 1/8 inch in 

 diameter and three feet long, which is shot by means of a sling. The sling consists of 

 two pieces of tire tube which are slipped over the thumb and foi^finger of the left hand 

 and the sling is used as boys use a slingshot. 



Fish were very abundant along the outer edge of the reef in from one to two fathoms 

 and were comparatively tame. Among the more abundant species were crevalle, goat fish, 

 parrot fish and wrasse. 



There are a few throw nets knit locally from twine previously furnished by the 

 Kilitary Government. The last supply of tliis was received in February 19^ and the 

 number of throw nets available to the natives is still inadequate. Also there are 

 several beach seines made of coconut fiber, which have a square mesh of approximately an 

 inch and a quarter. The twine is very coarse and aoout the size of #40 cotton twine. 

 They have some ffAO twine which they use ibr trolling for skip jack, b^nito, and albacore. 

 Usually tv/o or three fishermen go out together and one paddles or handles the sail while 

 the others tend the lines. For bait they use a homemade jig, the body of wnich is cut 

 from black-lipped pearl oyster shell, v/hich is common. Ordinarily they use an American 

 type steel hook, although if these are not available they make a barbless hook out of 

 tortoise shell and tie it onto the pearl shell body. A strip of fish is put on the hook 

 for l3%it. 7,'e saw several fishing canoes with one or two bonito, weighing from 15 to 25 

 pounds, which were caught with this type of gear. One native said they formerly used 

 bamboo poles and fished in very much the same manner as the Japanese do and that four 

 men sometimes brought in a hundred fish in a couple of hours. At the present time there 

 is no bamboo left on the island for poles. It is not grown locally and should be 

 furnished. 



A few havrtcsbill turtles are taken, from which the tortoise shell is obtained for 

 use in handicraft — most of it to make the centers of fans. 



The natives here are very good fishermen and need little help other than to be 

 furnished v.-ith such necessary supplies as fish hooks, bamboo poles, cotton seine twine 

 ranging in size from #20 to #60, some bulk lead to be used in making leads on nets, and a 

 few feather jigs and spoons to supplement their homemade articles. PYoa the abundance of 

 bonito seen here it is possible to assume that the natives could establish a small diying 

 plant for the production of bonito sticks. 



D. KAPIKGAilARANGI ATOLL (Population /Wl - 19^6) 

 (August 3-5) 



There is no barrier reef, the fringing reef being in most cases only a few yards 

 from shore. The area from the reef to shore is of flat rock, comparatively smooth and 

 with approximately six inches of water over it at low tide. Except for an occasional 

 small wtiite brancl'iing coral three or four inches high, the entire surface -of the reef 

 could be used for seining and is -very vrell suited to throw-netting. An examination was 

 made of this reef at night, at which time many large yellow sea cuoimbers, from eight to 

 fourteen inches long, and a few small black ones, four to six inches long, were observed. 

 The quantity found, if present throughout the reef, is sufficient for limited production 

 of trepang. The outer edge of the reef drops off sbruptly just beyond the surf. In this 

 case the surf was too heavy for us to examine the fish population on the outside edge of 

 the reef. On the occasion of our visit spiny lobsters ( Panulirus sp.) were rare, only one 

 being seen, although the natives report that many of them are found at times. '.Ve also saw 

 quite a few surgeon fish ( Hepatus so.) mostly under six inches long. The fact that this 

 section of the reef is opposite the native village of Souwou probably accounts for the 

 small number of fish observed. 



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