﻿376 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [24] 
  

  

  always 
  considered 
  the 
  lagoons 
  as 
  free 
  waters, 
  and 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  

   state. 
  They 
  have 
  all 
  assured 
  me 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  not 
  authorized 
  any 
  

   one 
  to 
  make 
  such 
  statements. 
  All 
  they 
  desire 
  is, 
  that 
  some 
  preference 
  

   shall 
  be 
  shown 
  to 
  them, 
  when 
  grants 
  are 
  made, 
  and 
  that 
  no 
  grants 
  

   should 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  foreigners. 
  The 
  above 
  statements 
  have 
  been 
  en- 
  

   tered 
  on 
  the 
  minutes 
  of 
  a 
  meeting 
  held 
  at 
  Takaroa, 
  attended 
  by 
  the 
  

   district 
  superintendents 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  islands, 
  and 
  by 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  

   of 
  fishermen. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  the 
  Tahiti 
  courts 
  have, 
  on 
  two 
  different 
  occasions, 
  

   pronounced 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  the 
  principle 
  contained 
  in 
  the 
  French 
  laws, 
  

   namely, 
  that 
  the 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  comprised 
  between 
  the 
  reef 
  and 
  

   the 
  shore 
  are 
  the 
  property 
  of 
  the 
  state. 
  Under 
  the 
  rule 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  

   sovereigns 
  of 
  Tahiti, 
  however, 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  the 
  shore 
  was 
  also 
  the 
  owner 
  

   of 
  the 
  corresponding 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  between 
  the 
  reef 
  and 
  the 
  shore; 
  

   but 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  these 
  islands 
  having 
  become 
  annexed 
  to 
  France 
  has 
  

   changed 
  this. 
  And 
  does 
  it 
  not 
  follow, 
  as 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  course, 
  that 
  the 
  

   Tuamotu 
  lagoons 
  are 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  laws 
  as 
  the 
  Tahiti 
  waters, 
  as 
  

   the 
  annexation 
  of 
  the 
  archipelago 
  took 
  place 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  and 
  on 
  

   the 
  same 
  conditions 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  Society 
  Islands 
  f 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  rights 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  to 
  the 
  Tuamotu 
  lagoons, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  

   arms 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  comprised 
  between 
  the 
  reef 
  and 
  the 
  shore 
  are 
  incon- 
  

   testable, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  necessary 
  to 
  state 
  this 
  authoritatively. 
  This 
  will 
  be 
  

   the 
  only 
  way 
  to 
  avoid 
  the 
  lawsuits 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  these 
  islands 
  

   are 
  inclined 
  to 
  engage 
  on 
  the 
  slightest 
  pretext. 
  

  

  Localities 
  for 
  stations. 
  — 
  Thus 
  far 
  only 
  the 
  Tuamotu 
  Archipelago 
  has 
  

   come 
  into 
  question 
  ; 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  stated 
  whether 
  at 
  Tahiti 
  and 
  at 
  

   Moorea 
  there 
  are 
  favorable 
  localities 
  for 
  establishing 
  oyster-pares, 
  and 
  

   under 
  what 
  conditions 
  oyster 
  culture 
  could 
  be 
  carried 
  on 
  there. 
  These 
  

   two 
  islands 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  very 
  ones 
  in 
  which 
  emigrants 
  would 
  prefer 
  to 
  

   settle, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  their 
  greater 
  and 
  more 
  manifold 
  resources. 
  It 
  is 
  

   impossible 
  for 
  me 
  to 
  furnish 
  any 
  detailed 
  information 
  as 
  regards 
  each 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  localities 
  adapted 
  to 
  oyster 
  culture, 
  and 
  to 
  enumerate 
  all 
  of 
  

   them. 
  These 
  localities 
  are 
  far 
  too 
  numerous. 
  In 
  the 
  Island 
  of 
  Moorea 
  

   there 
  are 
  the 
  Cook 
  Bay 
  and 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Oponuhu, 
  well 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  pur- 
  

   pose 
  by 
  nature, 
  where 
  oyster 
  culture 
  could 
  be 
  conducted 
  on 
  a 
  large 
  scale; 
  

   likewise 
  the 
  greater 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  inside 
  the 
  reef, 
  whose 
  depth 
  is 
  

   sufficient 
  for 
  submerging 
  oyster-boxes. 
  Pearl-oysters 
  thrive 
  there 
  natu- 
  

   rally. 
  Moorea 
  is 
  12 
  or 
  13 
  miles 
  from 
  Papaete; 
  the 
  climate 
  is 
  healthy, 
  

   and 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  existence 
  are 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  at 
  Tahiti. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  de- 
  

   lightful 
  island, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  of 
  the 
  oceanic 
  islands; 
  and 
  

   there 
  is 
  no 
  lack 
  of 
  arable 
  soil 
  of 
  the 
  utmost 
  fertility. 
  

  

  At 
  Tahiti 
  there 
  are 
  also 
  numerous 
  places 
  suitable 
  for 
  the 
  cultivation 
  

   of 
  pearl-oysters. 
  I 
  will 
  mention 
  among 
  the 
  rest 
  the 
  Papaete 
  Roads, 
  the 
  

   neighborhood 
  of 
  Faaa, 
  the 
  bays 
  of 
  Matavai, 
  Tautira, 
  Taravao, 
  Port 
  

   Phaeton, 
  the 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  situated 
  in 
  the 
  districts 
  of 
  Hitiaa, 
  

   Tiarei, 
  &c. 
  There 
  are 
  enough 
  places 
  to 
  satisfy 
  the 
  whole 
  world, 
  and 
  

  

  