COMMERCIAL FISHERIES 9F THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 735 



are numerous caves, holes, etc. , which are the habitat of many species of fishes. The 

 fishermen carry a small seine and a quantity of the poisonous mixture in one of their 

 canoes, and when they arrive at the fishing ground set the seine around an isolated 

 rock or the mouth of a cave. The escape of the tish from these retreats being thus 

 prevented, the fishermen place some of the mixture in a small bag, and, diving to 

 the bottom, shake some of it in the holes. In about ten or fifteen minutes the fish 

 seem to become stupefied and rise to the surface, whence they are taken into the 

 canoe by means of small scoop nets. They soon recover from the effects of the drug 

 if allowed to remain in water. 



The seeds and leaves of the shrub akia {Diplomorjjha ti(()i(liv/<viih!).-<) are also used 

 for this purpose. 



WEIRS. 



While weirs are not of commercial importance in these islands, some are used in 

 the mountain streams during tlie rainy season for taking the oopu, a small fresh- 

 water gobj' found mostly in these streams, and consumed principally by the fisher- 

 men and their families. During the dry season a platform of large logs, placed side 

 by side, is built and placed in the stream at about or just above high-water mark. 

 Diiring the rainy season the streams rise \erj' high and the water becomes so muddy 

 with the wash from the sloping ground adjoining the banks that the oopus, who 

 make their homc'^ in water holes, under large rocks, etc., are driven out and carried 

 downsti'eam by. the hurr3'ing waters. As these lish do not like muddy water, they 

 endeavor to keep near the surface, which is comparatively clear, and are thus swept 

 in immense quantities onto the platform, and from there into a ditch leading out to 

 a plain, where thej' are gathered up in large quantities. At this season of the jear 

 the oopus are highly prized hy the natives, on account of their very delicate flavor. 

 This method of fishing is practiced mainly on the islands of Oahu and Kauai. 



TORCHING. 



Considerable fishing is done with torches at night. The torches are usually 

 made of split bamboos secured at regular intervals with ki leaves or twigs of the 

 naio (Mi/ojxii'iivi, xii/tdtveae/>s/x). They arc sometimes made of a number of kukui 

 nuts strung on rushes, or the stems of cocoanut leaves, which are then wrapped with 

 ki leaves so as to make the torch round like a candle. This latter kind will burn in 

 almost any kind of weather. The natives have a notion that if the torch burns with 

 a pale flame the fishing will be poor, but if it burns with a Vjright red flame it will be 

 very good. 



In shallow water the fish are frequently speared or taken in a small scoop net, 

 the fisherman wading around with the lighted torch in one hand and the spear or 

 net in the other. 



Sometimes, while the fish is blinded or dazzled by the light, a scoop net is 

 slipped in front of it by one of the fishermen ; a companion then gently tosses a stone 

 just back of the fish, which causes it to dart forward into the net, and it is captured. 

 This manner of fishing is called by the natives "lamalama." 



Another popular method is stunning or killing the fish after the}- have been 

 attracted to the surface by the light of a fire in the bow of a boat. It is the practice 



F. C. B. 1903, Pt. 2—11 



