Evening star., 1896-11-16

persed. Until the cause of fear was re-
moved. Most of the gathering of the fish
Is done with nets while they are thus
sWarming at the inlets.
To replen1Sh the ponds with young fish
the grated 1nletS admit SwarmS of the little
Try from the ocean, where they have hatch
ed They push through when the water
10 escape again. This source of supply is
however. very inadequate. 1t is customary
with f1ne nets TO scoop up the thick schools
OF small fry and deposit them to grow in
Smal ponds arranged for the purpose.
hen too large to pass the gratings of the
makahas they are turned into the large
pond one year Of growth will make a one
pound ama-arna, and two or three years a,
three-pound anae. 1t is especially the man
agement OF these small breeding ponds
winch requires care and skill, in which GER
tam trained natives are adopts. Watchful-
ness and skill are also necessary m de-
stroy predatory fish which get into the
ponus, and In many other ways
Inc mead pond men and fishermen ranked
as somewhat superior class. So skilled q
craft had its corresponding cultus of sne
cial fisher gods with their idols. temnIes
ana priests. and varied liturgy of pray
ers 10 be 1ntoned as the fishermen invoked
tnelr godS Tor every movement made AL
snousn the Idols are now hidden from pro-
Iaie VleW II their systematic worship still
survives. there is no doubt but that much
OF the old superstitions are still. pra cticad.
IL IS not improbable that the use of these
enants 81 ihlparts confidence and steadiness
10 the hshermen. and SO promotes their
success. very misguided faith will often
DO much for mans works.
Fishing superstitions.
l was well acquainted with a worthy OLD
deacon in a country church over thirty
years ago. who was overtaken by death in
the act of bowling down in his canoe to in
tone n fsh
ret was cast. The old man was probably
no more untrue to his professed Christiant-
ty than Sicilian fisherman who inyokes
some saint. The new religion does not at
once expel all traces Of the old one. At
about the same time the then premier r ot
afterward King Kamehameha v. very
superstitouS prince. sent to the east end
OF Maui. and brought thence a famous
stone idol and its priest. The idol had
been practiced by the fishermen Lot
caused them to be established at Fisher
mems Point, on the east side of this har-
Dor, where he owned a valuable fishery
No doubt this impaired great confidence
and encouragement to the fishermen Lots
reign ended about eight years later. and
lhe property was subsequently inherited
by the noble Christian princess, Punahi. a
lady who would on no account permit
superstitious practices among her retain
ers. That was doubtless the end of that
idol and it's hut.
What Might BE Done.
The possibilities of creating any consid
cradle industry here in fisheries are inter-
esting. Certainly the pond system might
be very greatly enlarged. There are yerv
extensive shoal tracts on the shores of diff
ferent islands, which might be inclosed for
that purpose at moderate expense Rail
tracks could be used to carry rock and
nliins from the neighboring hillsides for
the embankments. Such ponds are ex-
tremely good property. AS to open sea
hsheries there are between Maui and its
neighboring islands several banks of some
what what shoal water where fish congregate.
Inese were well known to the old native
nshermen. but have nearly passed ont of
present knowledge. They Will douhtIess
again become sources of profit. All around
lne l,Vo miles OF coast line of the Ha-
Waiian group schools of fish of many and
Valuable species are constantly making
their appearance. and might support con-
siderable fleets of fishing boats.
Extending over 1,2OO miles west north
west from this group is a chain of islets
and reefs which swarm with fish. No
doubt large fishing industry might be
conducted all along that line, having its
headquarters in Honolulu. There is no
doubt Of the multitudes of the fish. No
better proof is needed than the millions of
birds which subsist on them I have NV
SELF seen on Nichoa, or Bird Island what
could not be estimated as less than 500. 900
birds of twelve different species. ranrinp
from the frtgate bird, of the size Of an
eagle or an albatross. down to some of the
size Of domestic fowls. These all lived on
the fish which they daily caught within
ten miles or SO of their lofty barren rock
or go acres. There seemed to be a nest Of
some Kind on nearly every square yard.
Wherever one went, the birds rose into
the air. filling it like cloud of gnats.
There must be good fishing around that
rock. ~
|here are several other such rocks he
yond. as well as great shoals and reefs, like
french F'rigate shoal and Laysan Island.
On the great sandspit Of the latter recent
photographs show the birds congrepated
as tnick as they can stand over many acres
Of the ground. The Honolulu Fertilizer
works have force there. collecting guano.
which goes to help in making sugar on our
plantations. 1t seems reasonable to expect
that quite extensive fishing industry will
hereafter rob those birds of much of their
fnny prey. KAMEHAMAHA.