230 Fish-Poisoning in the Hawaunan Islands 
Tutuila from 1901 to 1912 and frequently witnessed the process 
there. Mr. Mooklar’s description is more detailed than that of 
most writers on the subject of fish-poisoning in Southern Polyne- 
sia. 
The narcotic that Mr. Mooklar saw in use was extracted from 
the unripe or green seed kernels of the futu (Barringtonia speci- 
osa). ‘This tree is to be found growing luxuriantly along the 
sandy beaches of all the islands of Samoa, frequently with its roots 
in the salt water and its branches overhanging the sea. The buoy- 
ant seeds drop into the water in great quantities and, while some 
are carried away by wind and ocean currents. large numbers are 
washed back again to the beach where they sprout readily. The 
seeds are somewhat pyramidal in form, the husk corklike and fib- 
rous. Those used for fishing are gathered from the trees. Though 
Seemann states that the husk was used, in the process seen by Mr. 
Mooklar (and other writers confirm Mr. Mooklar’s account) only 
the kernel’ was taken, being either pounded in stone mortars or 
grated to a coarse meal. The grater was a piece of tin plate 
roughly punctured by nails, then bent into semi-cylindrical form 
and fastened to a flat board. 
The fishing was done in pools left by the receding tide. Very 
soon after grating the prepared meal the fishermen threw it into 
the water by handfuls, where it sank slowly. The effect of the 
poison was quick, as in a few minutes the fish were observed float- 
ing helplessly on their sides on the surface of the pool. They 
were taken as rapidly as possible, as the natives believed that the 
fish would recover if permitted to float into untreated water. It 
was also stated that human beings were in no way affected by eat- 
ing the narcotized fish. While the process observed is modern it is 
probably similar to the older method, with the addition of the tin 
grater. 
Though Mr. Mooklar did not know of the use of any other 
fish-poisons, several writers have spoken of other plants used for 
the purpose. Other fish-poisons reported as used in Samoa are 
Tephrosia piscatoria, which according to Brown! was mixed with 
™ Seemann, Berthold, Flora Vitiensis, p. 82, London, 1865-1873. 
* Brown, Macmillan, Melanesians and Polynesians, p. 337, London, 1910. 
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