﻿EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  CLXIX 
  

   OBSERVATIONS 
  ON 
  THE 
  MULLET 
  AND 
  OYSTERS 
  OF 
  HAWAII. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  native 
  Hawaiians, 
  like 
  the 
  Japanese, 
  is 
  fish, 
  

   the 
  waters 
  around 
  the 
  islands 
  containing 
  many 
  varieties, 
  some 
  in 
  great 
  

   numbers. 
  The 
  market 
  in 
  Honolulu 
  is 
  a 
  large, 
  substantial 
  structure, 
  

   paved, 
  open 
  on 
  the 
  sides, 
  clean, 
  and 
  well 
  kept. 
  The 
  sale 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  

   under 
  Government 
  supervision, 
  an 
  inspector 
  having 
  charge 
  of 
  all 
  fish 
  

   delivered, 
  which 
  if 
  not 
  sold 
  after 
  they 
  have 
  beei\ 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  

   a 
  certain 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  are 
  converted 
  into 
  fertilizer. 
  

  

  The 
  Chinese 
  largely 
  conduct 
  this 
  industry, 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  waters, 
  

   but 
  in 
  the 
  private 
  ponds, 
  and 
  their 
  methods 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  in 
  their 
  

   native 
  country. 
  A 
  few 
  natives 
  also 
  are 
  employed 
  in 
  fishing. 
  

  

  The 
  mullet 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  marketable 
  fish, 
  ;ind 
  those 
  supplied 
  are 
  

   largely 
  taken 
  along 
  the 
  reefs; 
  but 
  another 
  source 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  from 
  

   the 
  ponds, 
  and 
  this 
  aflbrds 
  the 
  main 
  supply 
  during 
  inclement 
  weather. 
  

  

  The 
  fish-ponds 
  are 
  nearly 
  as 
  old 
  as 
  the 
  peopling 
  of 
  the 
  islands, 
  for 
  

   even 
  the 
  traditions 
  give 
  no 
  time 
  when 
  they 
  were 
  first 
  built; 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  

   supposed 
  by 
  the 
  best 
  authorities 
  that 
  they 
  date 
  back 
  at 
  least 
  500 
  or 
  600 
  

   years, 
  and 
  before 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  civilization 
  were 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  meat 
  

   supply 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  sea 
  fishes, 
  as 
  these 
  islands 
  when 
  discovered 
  

   contained 
  no 
  mammals. 
  Fish 
  and 
  poi 
  (fermented 
  paste 
  from 
  the 
  root 
  

   of 
  the 
  taro) 
  were 
  the 
  diet 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  Hawaiians, 
  and 
  are 
  very 
  dear 
  

   to 
  the 
  modern 
  natives, 
  as 
  fish 
  and 
  rice 
  are 
  to 
  the 
  Japanese. 
  These 
  fish- 
  

   ponds 
  were 
  very 
  numerous 
  on 
  all 
  the 
  islands, 
  but 
  through 
  disuse 
  and 
  

   neglect 
  many 
  have 
  become 
  silted 
  up 
  and 
  are 
  now 
  marshes, 
  while 
  the 
  

   walls 
  have 
  been 
  destroyed 
  in 
  others 
  by 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  civilization 
  and 
  

   the 
  ravages 
  of 
  nature 
  and 
  are 
  now 
  dry 
  land. 
  Still 
  quite 
  a 
  number 
  are 
  

   in 
  excellent 
  condition 
  and 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  raising 
  mullet 
  from 
  the 
  small 
  

   fry. 
  There 
  are 
  about 
  a 
  dozen 
  of 
  these 
  ponds 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Hono- 
  

   lulu, 
  ranging 
  in 
  size 
  from 
  15 
  or 
  20 
  acres 
  to 
  150 
  acres. 
  

  

  The 
  site 
  selected 
  for 
  the 
  pond 
  usually 
  is 
  in 
  shallow 
  water, 
  where 
  the 
  

   configuration 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  is 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  reduce 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  possible 
  the 
  

   length 
  of 
  the 
  wall 
  to 
  be 
  built, 
  and 
  in 
  localities 
  visited 
  by 
  the 
  spawning 
  

   mullet. 
  The 
  Loko 
  Hanaloa, 
  on 
  the 
  Pearl 
  Lochs, 
  covers 
  at 
  least 
  150 
  

   acres, 
  but 
  the 
  wall 
  necessary 
  to 
  inclose 
  this 
  area 
  is 
  less 
  than 
  one-fourth 
  

   of 
  a 
  mile 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  walls 
  are 
  constructed 
  of 
  volcanic 
  or 
  coral 
  rock 
  

   and 
  originally 
  without 
  gratings. 
  Interstices 
  in 
  the 
  wall 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  

   loose 
  rock 
  allowed 
  the 
  tidal 
  flow. 
  Prior 
  to 
  the 
  advent 
  of 
  the 
  mission- 
  

   aries, 
  when 
  the 
  government 
  of 
  the 
  island 
  was 
  in 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  native 
  

   chiefs 
  and 
  subchiefs, 
  every 
  native 
  was 
  obliged 
  to 
  contribute 
  his 
  labor 
  

   for 
  several 
  days, 
  at 
  certain 
  definite 
  periods, 
  to 
  his 
  chief, 
  and 
  tradition 
  

   states 
  that 
  in 
  building 
  the 
  walls 
  lines 
  of 
  men 
  were 
  formed 
  from 
  the 
  sea 
  

   to 
  the 
  hillsides 
  and 
  the 
  rock 
  passed 
  from 
  hand 
  to 
  hand. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  artificial 
  hatching 
  of 
  food-fishes 
  on 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  Hawaiian 
  

   Islands, 
  nor 
  has 
  there 
  ever 
  been 
  any, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  could 
  be 
  learned, 
  but 
  the 
  

   fry 
  are 
  driven 
  or 
  transported 
  to 
  these 
  artificial 
  ponds 
  and 
  there 
  raised. 
  

   When 
  the 
  mullet 
  come 
  into 
  the 
  shoaler 
  waters 
  to 
  spawn, 
  the 
  young 
  fry 
  

   seek, 
  instinctively, 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  shallowest 
  water. 
  In 
  former 
  

  

  