NOTES ON THE BOATS, APPARATUS, AND FISHING METHODS 
EMPLOYED BY THE NATIVES OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS 
AND RESULTS OF FISHING TRIALS BY THE ALBATROSS. 
By A. B. ALEXANDER, 
Fishery Expert, U. S. Fish Commission Steamer Albatross. 
On August 23, 1899, the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross 
sailed from San Francisco for the South Sea Islands, touching at the 
island of Nukuhiva, Marquesas group, September 17, and from that 
time until February 21, 1900, ten groups of islands were visited and 
landings were made at 59 places. While fishing is carried on at all 
the inhabited islands in each group, yet in no one place is it prosecuted 
to any great extent, but is a local affair and hardly considered beyond 
the needs of home consumption. Tahiti seems to be the only island 
where commercial fishing is carried on, and here only to a limited 
extent, at Papeete. The natives here are given more to tilling the soil, 
leaving the fisheries to a small colony of Gilbert Islanders, who were 
brought to Tahiti a number of years ago for that purpose. These 
fishermen follow their calling the year round, but the average weekly 
catch is small, not exceeding the amount that would be required to 
supply a town of 1,500 people. 
In the present paper are given notes on the fisheries, fishing boats, 
and fishing appliances of the various islands, in the order in which 
they were visited. The results of the fishing done by the Albatross 
are also recorded, together with some reference to the collecting of 
natural-history specimens. 
For the photographs and sketches with which the report is illustrated 
I am indebted to Mr. Alexander Agassiz, Mr. C. H. Townsend, Mr. 
A. G. Mayer, Mr. W. McM. Woodworth, Mr. H. C. Fassett, and Mr. 
V. Arnkil. 
THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS. 
The first landing was at Tai-o-hae, Nukuhiva Island, Marquesas 
group. This is a small village comprising some three or four hundred 
natives and a sprinkling of white people. The white colony is com- 
posed chiefly of French government officials and business men. The 
natives live largely on the products of the soil, such as cocoanuts, 
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