COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF 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 fish 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 ( Diplomorpha, sandwicensis ) 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 the rainy season for taking the oopu, a small fresh- 
water gobjr 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. 
During the rainy season the streams rise very high and the water becomes so muddy 
with the w r ash from the sloping ground adjoining the banks that the oopus, who 
make their homes in water holes, under large rocks, etc., are driven out and carried 
downstream by the hurrying waters. As these fish 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 they are gathered up in large quantities. At this season of the year 
the oopus are highly prized by 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 ( Myoporum sandwicensis). They are 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 bright 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 they have been 
attracted to the surface by the light of a fire in the bow of a boat. It is the practice 
