454 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
In 1883 Mr. Allan Herbert, of Honolulu, purchased 300 Eastern 
oysters at San Francisco and, bringing them to Honolulu, planted them 
at Kalihi, but a heavy freshet from the stream covered them up. 
In 1893 the matter was taken up by Hon. John F. Colburn, of 
Honolulu, who writes as follows regarding his experiments: 
In the month of October, 1893, I imported from Mr. M. B. Moraghan, of San Fran- 
cisco, three cases of oysters for the purpose of planting. Two of the cases contained 
about 1,000 Eastern transplanted, and one case contained about 38,000 of the native 
California. They were brought down on the steamship Australia, in the ice-house, 
and arrived in apparently good order. I at once had them removed to my pond at 
Manana Ewa, and planted in a depth ranging from 1 foot to 2 feet of water. 
Some three months after I madea thorough search of the different places where I had 
planted oysters, and found that the native California were all dead, and of the Eastern 
transplanted about 50 per cent were still living, though considerably sunk into the 
soft mud at the bottom of the pond. I had these taken up and put down again, and 
some three months afterwards I examined them again and found they had started to 
grow; the new shell forming was easily noticeable. I continued my practice of taking 
them up at different intervals of time until the early part of 1895, when I was so 
elated with the prospect of my success that I made arrangements with Mr. Moraghan 
to send me down more Eastern transplanted, with two objects in view: (1) To have 
fresh Eastern oysters to supply the oyster-eaters of our city, and (2) to have them 
answer for the purpose of seed for propagating. 
I imported 388,614 from San Francisco by the steamship Australia, having them 
come in five different trips of the vessel. About two-thirds were brought down on 
the open deck in boxes, and were wet down every morning when decks were being 
washed down. The balance came in the ice-house. With the former way my loss 
was more in number, but the latter way was the most expensive. On deck I could 
get the oysters landed for about $10 a ton measurement, but through the ice-house 
the charges were 5 cents a pound for freight. 
As fast as the oysters would arrive I would have them sent down to my pond and 
laid out. Inamonth or so afterwards they would get very thin and be unfit for the 
market. However, I allowed them to recuperate by getting acclimated to the con- 
ditions of my pond as well as to the food. 
In the latter part of 1895 I discovered young oysters clinging to stones and dead 
oyster shells. I have watched them very carefully and at different intervals of this 
year I have found more young ones. Of course the young are not as many as I 
would like to see, still I trust that in time I will be able to boast of a bed of 
Hawaiian oysters reared from the seed of the American Eastern oyster. From those 
I have imported I am in a position to furnish to those desiring oysters a mess of them 
fresh from the water. The last lot has been now about eighteen months in my 
pond and are in fine and fat condition, having grown twice their original size. 
Fresh sea water empties into my fish pond through gates and a large spring of 
fresh water also runs into it, thereby making the water a little brackish.* 
During the last few years very little attention has been paid to the 
beds by Mr. Colburn, owing to the pressure of other business, and there 
are but few oysters left on them now. 
This year (1901) there has been considerable agitation of the subject 
among some of the leading white and native citizens, and it is hoped 
that the industry will be taken up and established on a paying basis. 
*Report on the work of the Steamer Albatross, by Lieut. Com. J. F. Moser, U.S. N. Report of 
Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries for 1897. 
