﻿370 
  KEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [18] 
  

  

  feet, 
  making 
  the 
  space 
  between 
  the 
  box 
  and 
  the 
  ground 
  about 
  10 
  inches. 
  

   On 
  the 
  inside 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  row 
  of 
  slats 
  running 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  broad 
  

   sides, 
  and 
  slightly 
  inclined 
  like 
  the 
  slats 
  of 
  a 
  shutter, 
  each 
  slat 
  being- 
  

   provided 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  side 
  with 
  a 
  bracket 
  with 
  a 
  round 
  hole, 
  each 
  in- 
  

   tended 
  to 
  receive 
  one 
  oyster. 
  In 
  this 
  way 
  the 
  oyster 
  was 
  placed 
  almost 
  

   vertically, 
  its 
  valves 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  air, 
  and 
  its 
  byssus 
  was 
  brought 
  in 
  con- 
  

   tact 
  with 
  the 
  wood. 
  Arranged 
  systematically 
  between 
  the 
  slats, 
  the 
  

   oysters 
  could 
  not 
  become 
  mixed, 
  or 
  become 
  displaced 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  

   the 
  current. 
  The 
  bottom 
  and 
  the 
  cover 
  of 
  the 
  apparatus 
  were 
  composed 
  

   of 
  open 
  slats, 
  and 
  the 
  sides 
  were 
  perforated. 
  In 
  this 
  way 
  the 
  water 
  could 
  

   enter 
  the 
  boxes 
  and 
  circulate 
  freely. 
  

  

  The 
  submersion 
  of 
  these 
  oyster-boxes 
  presented 
  no 
  difficulties. 
  Four 
  

   ropes 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  four 
  feet 
  of 
  the 
  apparatus, 
  were 
  tied 
  in 
  a 
  knot 
  at 
  

   the 
  height 
  of 
  a 
  yard 
  above 
  it. 
  To 
  this 
  knot 
  a 
  rope 
  was 
  attached, 
  which 
  

   was 
  lengthened 
  in 
  proportion 
  as 
  the 
  apparatus 
  weighted 
  with 
  stones 
  

   sunk 
  deeper 
  into 
  the 
  water. 
  A 
  float 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   rope 
  showed 
  the 
  place 
  where 
  the 
  box 
  was 
  submerged. 
  The 
  operation 
  . 
  

   of 
  submerging 
  and 
  hauling 
  up 
  the 
  oyster-box 
  would 
  be 
  very 
  much 
  sim- 
  

   plified, 
  and 
  be 
  accomplished 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  short 
  time, 
  if 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  float 
  

   with 
  a 
  system 
  of 
  winches 
  and 
  pulleys. 
  

  

  On 
  September 
  3, 
  1S84, 
  a 
  box 
  like 
  those 
  described 
  above, 
  having 
  its 
  

   full 
  supply 
  of 
  oysters, 
  was 
  deposited 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  harbor 
  of 
  Pa- 
  

   paete, 
  near 
  the 
  little 
  island 
  of 
  Mutu-Uta. 
  When 
  drawn 
  up 
  three 
  days 
  

   afterwards 
  all 
  the 
  oysters 
  had 
  become 
  fixed 
  to 
  the 
  wood 
  of 
  the 
  slats 
  r 
  

   each 
  in 
  its 
  own 
  hole, 
  forming 
  in 
  a 
  certain 
  way 
  one 
  body 
  with 
  the 
  appa- 
  

   ratus. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  this 
  how 
  advantageous 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  raising 
  

   oysters 
  in 
  boxes 
  might 
  prove 
  at 
  Tahiti. 
  If 
  this 
  method 
  was 
  employed 
  

   not 
  a 
  single 
  oyster 
  would 
  perish; 
  their 
  exact 
  number 
  would 
  be 
  known, 
  

   and 
  moreover 
  each 
  one 
  might 
  be 
  numbered. 
  The 
  care 
  which 
  these 
  

   young 
  oysters 
  need 
  could 
  easily 
  be 
  given 
  them. 
  

  

  At 
  no 
  place 
  on 
  the 
  French 
  coasts 
  is 
  oyster 
  culture 
  carried 
  on 
  under 
  

   such 
  conditions 
  of 
  convenience 
  and 
  economy 
  as 
  are 
  found 
  at 
  Tahiti. 
  

   The 
  absence 
  of 
  the 
  tide, 
  leaving 
  the 
  shore 
  dry, 
  is, 
  in 
  my 
  opinion, 
  an 
  ad- 
  

   vantage 
  to 
  the 
  oyster 
  cultivator, 
  who 
  is 
  thus 
  enabled 
  to 
  carry 
  on 
  his 
  

   operations 
  at 
  any 
  time. 
  Instead 
  of 
  having 
  to 
  send 
  numerous 
  relays 
  of 
  

   workmen 
  to 
  the 
  pares 
  to 
  use 
  the 
  short 
  intervals 
  when 
  the 
  water 
  allows 
  

   them 
  to 
  work, 
  a 
  small 
  number 
  of 
  laborers 
  will 
  suffice 
  to 
  keep 
  up 
  the 
  es- 
  

   tablishment, 
  as 
  they 
  can 
  work 
  at 
  any 
  time. 
  And 
  if 
  the 
  trade 
  in 
  mother- 
  

   of-pearl 
  is 
  languishing 
  and 
  prices 
  are 
  not 
  remunerative, 
  the 
  cultivator 
  

   can 
  afford 
  to 
  wait 
  for 
  better 
  times. 
  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  simply 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  

   pares, 
  where 
  they 
  will 
  continue 
  to 
  grow 
  and 
  increase 
  in 
  value; 
  and 
  when 
  

   better 
  times 
  come 
  he 
  would 
  be 
  prepared 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  demands 
  of 
  the 
  

   merchants, 
  and 
  would 
  obtain 
  good 
  prices. 
  

  

  On 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  oyster-boxes 
  containing 
  mother 
  oysters, 
  deposited 
  

   at 
  Aratica 
  at 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  lagoon, 
  spawn 
  was 
  obtained. 
  Other 
  

   important 
  results 
  were 
  reached 
  near 
  Papaete. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  had 
  

  

  