494 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF~-FISHERIES. 
The island is divided into five districts—Hana, Honuaula, Kaupo, 
Lahaina, and Wailuku. The population at the last census was 24,797. 
Lahaina, Wailuku, Kahului, Sprecklesville, and Hana are the princi- 
pal towns and settlements. <A railroad extends from Wailuku to 
Kahului, Sprecklesville, and Keia, and is used considerably in distrib- 
uting fish landed at Kahului. Nine-tenths of the fishermen make their 
headquarters at either Lahaina or Kahului. At the latter place is 
located the Kahului fishery, owned by the Hawaiian Commercial and 
Sugar Company, which is one of the most important enterprises in 
the islands. The company leases the fishery for a rental of one-half 
the gross proceeds and furnishes everything but the labor required 
to operate it. 
During the year covered by this investigation the Japanese line fish- 
ermen at Kahului were very successful. At this place Chinese buy 
the nehu and other very small fish taken in the nets, dry them in the 
sun on bags laid on the grass, and then peddle them throughout the 
surrounding country for about 25 cents per pound. 
Owing to the large number of Japanese employed on the numerous 
sugar plantations of the island, there is a large demand for fresh fish, 
and this is supplied mainly by Japanese peddlers with horses and 
carts, who make periodical trips to the plantations from Lahaina and 
Kahului. The surplus from the fisheries of Kahoolawe, Lanai, and 
the western end of Molokai is marketed at either Lahaina or Kahului, 
and helps to supply the constantly increasing demands of the Maui fish 
consumers. There are at present no fish inspectors upon Maui, and 
as a result considerable old and tainted fish is sold. This is especially 
true at Lahaina. 
One of the most interesting features of the fisheries of Lahaina dis- 
appeared in October, 1903, when the South Sea, or Gilbert, Islanders, 
who had a settlement in the upper part of the town, returned to their 
old home. These people had introduced and practiced a number of 
interesting and profitable methods of fishing, particularly that with 
baskets. They also did most of the spearing. 
The Japanese fishermen at Lahaina and Kahului during the last two 
years have very much surprised the natives by catching akule with 
hook and line. Heretofore the natives used seines exclusively in this 
fishery, as they supposed it was impossible to catch akule on a hook. 
The Japanese are very secretive as to how they accomplish it, but the 
natives claim that the following method is pursued: The line has a 
chicken quill attached just above the hook, the lower part of the quill 
being broken out on all sides. The fishing is done at night, and the 
fishermen carry a flaring torch in the bow of the boat, to attract the 
fish. The line is dropped into the water and worked up and down, and 
it is supposed that the fish, seeing the reflection of the light on the 
