COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
719 
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 
generally accompanies the boat and gets his regular share with the others. 
BOATS. 
Canoes. — The native Hawaiians in fishing use canoes exclusively. Some of these, 
particularly the older ones, are very handsome in design and workmanship, the 
old-time native boat buildei’s having been especially expert. The present generation 
has sadly deteriorated, however, and the canoes made now by natives rarfely show 
very much skill. 
The body of the canoe is usually hollowed out of the trunk of a koa tree (. Acacia 
koa ), which averages from 50 to 60 feet in height. This tree, formerly 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 woodeli nails. The holei ( Ochrosia sandwicensis), a tree 
from 6 to 12 feet in height, is preferred for this purpose, but the ahakea ( Bobea 
elatior ), a tree 20 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 about 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 are curved, 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 inches in diameter is then lashed to the under side 
of these poles near the extreme ends, lying pai’allel to the body of the canoe and 
extending slightly beyond the cross poles at each end. The wiliwili ( Erythrina 
monosperma), 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 very narrow. 
With ordinary care it is almost impossible to capsize a canoe fitted with an outrigger. 
The natives make long journeys in them, frequently in quite stormy weather. 
An ordinary canoe for one person would be about 18 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, usually about 46 inches in length, with an 
oblong blade about 23 inches long by 13i inches wide. The wood of the paihi tree is 
frequently used, especially on Hawaii, in making the ordinary paddles, while the wood 
of the koaia ( Acacia koaia) 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 
