﻿[21] 
  PEARLS 
  AT 
  TAHITI 
  AND 
  TUAMOTU. 
  373 
  

  

  point, 
  experiments 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  ascertain 
  whether 
  by 
  

   special 
  methods 
  of 
  culture 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  possible 
  to 
  cultivate 
  white 
  mother- 
  

   of-pearl 
  at 
  Tahiti. 
  These 
  experiments 
  are 
  not 
  the 
  only 
  ones 
  which 
  

   should 
  be 
  made. 
  There 
  remain 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  questions 
  whose 
  so- 
  

   lution 
  would 
  be 
  profitable, 
  such 
  as, 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  normal 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  oysters 
  5 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  waters, 
  currents, 
  temperature, 
  and 
  

   bottom 
  ; 
  the 
  choice 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  collectors 
  for 
  gathering 
  the 
  spawn; 
  the 
  

   selection 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  suitable 
  places 
  for 
  raising 
  oysters, 
  ascertaining 
  

   the 
  time 
  when 
  spawn 
  is 
  ejected, 
  &c. 
  A 
  year 
  at 
  least 
  should 
  be 
  devoted 
  

   to 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  these 
  different 
  questions, 
  with 
  the 
  view 
  to 
  get 
  at 
  some 
  

   practical 
  data. 
  

  

  From 
  what 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  it 
  follows: 
  

  

  1. 
  That 
  the 
  pearl-oyster 
  is 
  susceptible 
  of 
  being 
  raised 
  just 
  like 
  the 
  

   edible 
  oyster, 
  and 
  that 
  its 
  spawn 
  can 
  be 
  gathered. 
  

  

  2. 
  That 
  at 
  Tahiti 
  oyster-cultural 
  establishments 
  may 
  be 
  founded 
  with 
  

   every 
  chance 
  of 
  success. 
  

  

  3. 
  That 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  check 
  the 
  gradual 
  exhaustion 
  of 
  the 
  

   Tuamotu 
  lagoons, 
  but 
  to 
  restock 
  them, 
  and 
  make 
  them 
  as 
  flourishing 
  

   and 
  productive 
  as 
  ever. 
  

  

  Organization 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries. 
  — 
  The 
  first 
  thing 
  to 
  be 
  done 
  is 
  to 
  organ- 
  

   ize 
  a 
  special 
  service 
  of 
  oyster 
  culture 
  analogous 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  the 
  

   English 
  have 
  established 
  in 
  Iudia, 
  and 
  the 
  Dutch 
  in 
  their 
  possessions 
  in 
  

   Asia. 
  This 
  service 
  should 
  include 
  a 
  strict 
  supervision 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  

   places 
  ; 
  this, 
  in 
  fact, 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  point. 
  It 
  would 
  cause 
  the 
  

   regulations 
  to 
  be 
  properly 
  respected, 
  would 
  prevent 
  frauds 
  and 
  smug- 
  

   gliug, 
  would 
  cause 
  the 
  contracts 
  between 
  masters 
  and 
  divers 
  to 
  be 
  rig- 
  

   idly 
  observed; 
  it 
  would 
  keep 
  the 
  governor 
  constantly 
  acquainted 
  with 
  

   the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries, 
  so 
  that 
  he 
  would 
  know 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  

   worked, 
  and 
  those 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  subjected 
  to 
  prohibitory 
  measures 
  

   ("rahui") 
  ; 
  it 
  would 
  aid 
  in 
  determining 
  the 
  localities 
  where 
  new 
  centers 
  

   of 
  reproduction 
  should 
  be 
  established, 
  and 
  would 
  assist 
  in 
  properly 
  

   keeping 
  up 
  these 
  hatcheries. 
  The 
  chief 
  of 
  the 
  service 
  of 
  oyster 
  culture 
  

   should 
  have 
  at 
  his 
  disposal 
  a 
  steamer 
  of 
  120 
  to 
  150 
  tons, 
  built 
  so 
  that 
  

   it 
  could 
  easily 
  enter 
  the 
  lagoons 
  and 
  resist 
  the 
  bad 
  weather 
  which 
  

   often 
  prevails 
  at 
  Tuamotu. 
  This 
  vessel 
  should 
  be 
  commanded 
  by 
  some 
  

   experienced 
  naval 
  officer, 
  having 
  under 
  him 
  a 
  crew 
  of 
  seven 
  or 
  eight 
  

   men, 
  who 
  would 
  act 
  as 
  fisheries 
  police 
  and 
  see 
  to 
  it 
  that 
  the 
  regula- 
  

   tions 
  were 
  not 
  violated. 
  The 
  vessel 
  should 
  be 
  a 
  rapid 
  sailer, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  

   could 
  promptly 
  and 
  unexpectedly 
  go 
  from 
  one 
  island 
  to 
  the 
  other. 
  

   Some 
  of 
  the 
  crew 
  might, 
  in 
  certain 
  cases, 
  be 
  detailed 
  to 
  guard 
  the 
  fishing- 
  

   places 
  for 
  a 
  longer 
  or 
  shorter 
  period. 
  From 
  the 
  day 
  when 
  a 
  proper 
  and 
  

   effective 
  service 
  of 
  supervision 
  has 
  been 
  established, 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  renew- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  stock 
  of 
  oysters 
  in 
  the 
  lagoons 
  may 
  be 
  commenced 
  with 
  a 
  well- 
  

   assured 
  hope 
  of 
  success. 
  

  

  This 
  is, 
  in 
  my 
  opinion, 
  the 
  method 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  pursued. 
  At 
  first 
  

   only 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  islands 
  should 
  be 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  regulations; 
  

  

  