420 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
the fisherman either chews up and spits on the surface a mouthful of 
candlenut meat, which renders the surface of the water glassy and 
clear, or uses the water glass, which is described elsewhere. He then 
drops the shell into the water, and by means of the line swings it 
back and forth over a place likely to be occupied by a hee. The 
moment the greedy animal perceives the shell an arm is shot out and 
the shell seized. If of a kind attractive to the animal, after a few 
moments’ hesitation another arm is placed around it, and this is con- 
tinued until at last the animal withdraws itself entirely from its hole 
and hugs the sheil closely to its body, and seems oblivious of every- 
thing else. The fisherman then draws it rapidly up through the water. 
When its head comes above the surface the animal raises it, and then 
the fisherman pulls 1t over against the edge of the canoe where he hits 
it a blow between the eyes with a club, which generally kills it. 
Owing to the animal’s quickness with its eight tentacles or arms, the 
fisherman has to be very rapid in his movements, as the animal would 
be no mean antagonist should it have an opportunity to seize the fisher- 
man with its arms. The natives say that a number of persons have 


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Cowrie Hook with Shell for catching Hee. Hook made from iron nail. 
lost their lives in struggles with these animals. This method of fish- 
ing is called by the natives ‘‘Lawaia hee me ke leho” (squid catching 
with cowrie). ; 
In fishing for hee a cowrie shell, with a metal hook laid across the 
mouth of the shell and fixed in position with melted lead, is sometimes 
used; and, again, a line with a piece of lead attached to the end in a 
horizontal position, a hook with the point up being lashed to one of 
the ends of the lead, is employed. 
Water glasses are frequently used along the Hawaiian coast. An 
oblong, square box with a piece of glass fixed in the bottom, is put 
on the water, with the glass end downward, and the fisherman, by 
placing his face in the open end, can distinctly see the bottom although 
the surface may be broken with ripples outside of the water glass. 
The water glasses now in use could be much improved if the box were 
wide enough to allow the entrance of the whole head instead of merely 
the face. By inserting the whole head the sunlight is cut off, thus much 
improving the seeing. A water glass similar to that used in the sponge 
