NOTES ON FISHING METHODS OF THE SOUTH SEAS. 1538 
ship in 7 fathoms of water, and a tooster pot was set close to the shore 
in 5 fathoms of water. The net remained down forty-eight hours and 
was visited morning and evening, and obtained a shark and one small 
fish, the same species as those taken in the net at Nukuhiva. The 
ground having been given a fair trial, the net was taken up and set 
near the edge of a patch of coral, part of the coral being awash at low 
water. One end of the net was set in shallow water and the other in 
about 4 fathoms, the foot line just clear of the bottom. Had any part 
of the net come in contact with the sharp, ragged bottom it is very 
doubtful if it could have been recovered. Numerous fish had been 
seen around the coral patch and the indications seemed favorable for 
capturing a number of them, but nothing was taken in the net, although 
it was down eleven hours. 
Hand-line fishing was carried on from the dory on the edge of the 
above-mentioned reef or patch, taking four fish during an afternoon, 
all of the same species. No other kind could be induced to take the 
hook or come anywhere near it. A small trawl line, rigged with 120 
very fine hooks and baited with pieces of fresh meat, fresh crabs, and 
fish, remained down long enough to convince us that nothing would 
be gained by leaving it longer. A place was selected for the trawl 
where the fish were plentiful, the water being clear and the bottom 
composed largely of white material, so that there was no trouble in 
placing the hooks just where desired. Some hooks ran at the base of 
branches of coral, others across little gullies, and a few on compara- 
tively smooth bottom. Itseemed as if one or more fish must be taken, 
but at the time we were not familiar with the habits of tropical fish. 
The line attached to the lobster pot caught under a branch of coral 
and was cut off, thus causing the loss of the pot. A wire trap made 
after the pattern of those used in various parts of South America 
that is, heart-shape, with the opening in the large end—was set in the 
same place where the trawl had been, baited with fresh fish and a live 
one fora decoy. This device also met with negative results. 
The best results were obtained with a 15-foot collecting seine. It 
was hauled fuliy 50 times, covering a stretch of beach about 3 miles, 
from the village eastward. At all times great care had to be exercised 
in hauling it, the bottom in most places being covered with live coral. 
The places where the bottom was at all smooth covered small areas, 
and in these a man had to be stationed at the foot line to lift it over 
the coral. In many cases the seine could not be landed on the beach, 
but had to be gathered into a small compass and carried to the shore. 
The catch comprised half-beaks, pompano, flounders, and several other 
species of small fish not then identified. 
On the reef outside the lagoon a fairly good collection of fishes was 
made with the dip net. A seine could not be used in the usual way. 
At low tide a platform of old beach rock is left partly bare; over this 
F. C. 1901——48 
