COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 7l9 



At Honolulu, among- the Japanese fishermen, the owner of a boat used in the 

 fisheries takes 15 per cent of the gross proceeds, the rest being divided equally 

 among the fishermen. The owner of the boat supplies everything except food, and 

 generall}^ accompanies the boat and gets his regular share with the others. 



BOATS. 



Canoi'ii. — The native Hawaiians in fishing use canoes exclusivelJ^ Some of these, 

 particularly the older ones, are very handsome in design and workmanship, the 

 old-time native boat builders having been especially expert. The present generation 

 has sadly deteriorated, however, and the canoes made now by natives rarely show 

 verj' much skill. 



The body of the canoe is usually hollowed out of the trunk of a koa tree {Acacia 

 li'oa), which averages from 50 to 60 feet in heiglit. This tree, formerW quite common, 

 is now rather scarce, owing to the excessive demands made upon the supply for 

 canoe building and other purposes. After the tree has been cut down and the 

 branches stripped off, the trunk is cut to the desired length and roughly hewn into 

 shape, then brought down to the shore, where the final touches are given. After 

 the body of the canoe is finished a rim about 6 inches in height is fastened to the 

 upper part by means of wooden nails. The holei {Ocliros/<i sandwiceiisis), a tree 

 from 6 to ll2 feet in height, is preferred for this purpose, but the ahakea {Bohea 

 eJafJor)^ a tree 30 to 30 feet in height, is sometimes used. 



Each canoe is fitted with an outrigger, made by laying two long, slender poles, 

 slightly curved at one end, across the canoe a))out one-fourth way from each end of 

 the latter, and so arranged that on one side they extend a few inches over the side, 

 while on the other, where they arc t'urv(^d, they run out from 6 to 8 feet. These 

 poles are firmly lashed to the body of the canoe where they cross it, with stout twine. 

 A sapling about 12 feet long and 6 inclu^s in diameter is then lashed to the under side 

 of these poles near the extreme ends, Ij^ing parallel to the bodj' of the canoe and 

 extending slightly beyond the cross poles at each end. The wiliwili {Erythrina 

 ijionimjii'i'ma), a tree 20 to 25 feet in height, is generally employed in constructing 

 the outrigger, the object of which is to balance the canoe, which is voiy naiTow. 

 With ordinary care it is almost impossible to capsize a canoe fitted with an outrigger. 

 The natives make long journej^s in them, frequently in quite stormy weather. 



An ordinary canoe for one person would be about IS feet long and about 17 

 inches wide, while a three-seated canoe would average 33 feet in length and 21 inches 

 in width. 



The paddle has a long, slender handle, usualljr about 46 inches in length, with an 

 oblong blade about 23 inches long by 13^ inches wide. The wood of the paihi tree is 

 frequently used, especiall}'^ on Hawaii, in making the ordinar}^ paddles, wlxile the wood 

 of the koaia {Acacia hiala) is generally used in the manufacture of the fancy ones. 



The South Sea Islanders on the Hawaiian Islands use a slightly different arrange- 

 ment of the outrigger. At the ends of the cross poles short forked sticks are lashed 

 with the closed part of the fork upward. The long sapling is then lashed to the lower 

 ends of the forks, but does not enter the V-shaped openings. It does not appear to 

 be as effective an arrangement as the one previously described. 



Some of the canoes use sails, but most of them depend upon their paddles for 

 motive power. 



F. C. B. 1903, Pt. 2—10 



