734 
BULLETIN OE THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
fish passing before and parallel to him and those coming straight toward him. For 
the former he aims a little in advance of the fish, since by the time it is struck its 
motion has carried it so far forward that it will receive the blow on the gills or 
middle of the body and thus be secured, whereas if the spear were aimed at the body 
it would be apt to hit the tail or entirely miss the fish. The spear is generally sent 
with such force that it goes entirely through the fish, thus bringing the latter up to 
the upper part of the spear, where it remains while the fisherman strikes rapidly at 
other fish in succession, should they come in single file, as they usually do. 
The above- water spearing is generally for Maki maki (the swell-fish, Tetraodon 
hispidus ), which is said to be poisonous; for hee (octopus); and for honu (turtle). 
The oopuhue is either speared from the walls of the fish ponds or in the open sea. 
In the deep-sea line-fishing spears with short poles are frequently employed in 
killing certain species brought to the surface on the lines. 
In fishing for puhi (eels) the latter are attracted out of their holes with bait and 
are then speared. 
Spears are frequently used in fishing for the hee (octopus), principally by women. 
This animal generalfy makes its home in small circular holes in the rocks on the reefs. 
When the fisherwoman finds a hole that she thinks is occupied she runs the spear 
into it gently. Should a hee be there it comes out to see what is the matter, the 
spear is run through it, and it is brought to the surface. The woman usually carries 
a smaller spear also, and with this she pricks or hits the animal in the head until it is 
stunned or killed, otherwise it might twine around her arms or legs and cause serious 
difficulty. 
Honu (turtle) are generally captured by means of spearing from the rocks along 
the shore where they congregate. 
DYNAMITING. 
Probably one of the most destructive methods of fishing is with dynamite, or 
giant powder, as it is generally called in the islands. This explosive was first used 
for this purpose in 187 0. A stick of dynamite weighing about a quarter of a pound 
is capped and arranged with a fuse about 10 inches long. The fisherman usually 
selects a deep hole, and paddling to within a short distance of it, lights the fuse and 
when it has burned almost to the cap throws it from him into the hole. When it 
explodes every living thing within a considerable radius of where it struck is either 
killed or stunned by the shock. Many fish rise to the surface and are picked up by 
the fisherman. An especially objectionable feature of this practice is the number 
of young fishes killed The method is prohibited b} r law, but very little attention 
is paid to this enactment, as no effort is made to enforce it. 
POISONING. 
The law also prohibits the catching of fish by means of stupefying drugs and 
plants placed in the water, but the practice is still followed in manjr places. It is 
called by the natives “hola hola.” The ahuhu (Cracca purpiorea), a poisonous weed 
which grows on the mountain side, is the plant generally employed. It is gathered 
and pounded up with sand, the latter to make it heavier so that it will sink in water. 
All over the reefs, running a short distance from and generally parallel to the shore, 
