COMMEECIAL FISHERIES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



731 



The basket used in fishing for opiie in salt and biackish water has a wide flaring- 

 mouth, graduallj^ sloping toward the center, a few inches from which it suddenly 

 branches ofl: into what looks like a long circular spout inclosed at the extreme end. 

 The size of the baskets varies. Holding the basket in the left hand the women wade 

 out in an almost nude condition to a suitable spot, where they sink down until only 

 the head is visible, and pushing the right hand under the rocks, dri\'e the opae into 

 the basket, which is so manipulated as partly to envelop one side of the stone. The 

 mouth of the basket is closed by drawing the sides together and holding them in this 

 position. The opae are then transferred to a gourd floating alongside, which the 

 fisherwoman keeps attached to her by a rope tied around her neck. The women are 

 expert in this method of fishing and rarely fail to make good catches. 



The hinai hooluuluu is used in hinalea iishing, and is a small basket made from 

 the vines of the awikiwiki, a C'o/irolvuli/n. After a light framework of twigs has 

 been tied together, the vines-, twigs and all, are wound in and out, round and round, 

 until of the requisite size, 

 3 or 4 feet in circumfer- 

 ence and about 1^ feet 

 deep. Pounded opae in- 

 closed in cocoanut fiber 

 is occasionally placed at 

 the bottom of the basket 

 for bait, but usually the 

 scent of the bruised and 

 withering leaves seems to 

 be sufficient. Women al- 

 ways attend to this kind 

 of fishing. They wade 

 out generally to small 

 sandy openings in coral 

 ground or reef, and let down the baskets, properl}' weighted to keep them in position, 

 the weights attached in such a way as to be easily removed. 



Each woman moves some distance away from her lia.sket, but to a point from 

 which she can watch the fish enter it. When all the fish that are in sight have 

 entered, the basket is taken up, the fish transferred to a large small-mouthed gourd, 

 and fishing resumed in another place. This method can be used only on a calm sunny 

 day and at low tide. 



Baskets made from the awikiwiki must be renewed from day to day. Some are 

 made from the ieie vine, while still others have been made from the weeping willow 

 since its introduction some j'ear^ ago. These latter can be used over and over again. 



Sometimes these baskets are placed in fairly deep water, where stones are piled 

 around them to keep them in position. For bait the wana (sea egg), with the shell 

 broken to expose the meat, is put in it. The basket is left for a day or two before 

 being taken up. 



The hinai uiui is used when fishing for the \\\m{PI(it(>i>]iryfi j)ant]ieriiius),n, small 

 flat-fish, said to make its appearance at intervals of from ten, fifteen, to twenty 



Fig. 231. — Basket [nr catching opae (shrimp), 



