The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-11-15
REPORT on
FISHERIES
Experts Write OF
the Hawaiian
Product.
COBB TELLS OF
PEARLS FOUND HERE
Interesting Stories OF Fisheries in
Pearl tiarbor-The Oyster
Supply.

The preliminary report of Davis
Starr Jordan and Barton W. Evermanl
upon their investigation OF the fisher
les of the Hawaiian Islands, which be
gan in June, 1901, and continued 70
three months, has been printed a
Washington, copies being sent to Ho
nolulu. Accompanying is report O
even more Importance by John n
Cobb on the Commercial Fisheries o
the Hawaiian Islands," and which con
tains information of much value.
The report is given in neatly bount
volume of $50 pages, which has manly
fine illustrations of the subject matter
and also a few maps.
The report of Jordan and Eyermanr
starts out with list of the food fshe:
of Hawaii, there being then a resume
of the fishery laws, and something
concerning the introduction of add
tional species of fishes from foreign
countries. There are also several
pages relating to the fish ponds and
concerning the methods Of bringing
fish to market.
The report of special agent Cobb OF
the United States Fish Commission
tells of the physical and geographical
features Of the islands, with a very
brief history of the people, and consid-
cradle concerning the history. religious
beliefs and superstitions of the fisher
men. His story of the boats and nets
of the fishermen is particularly inter-
esting, being accompanied by the
methods and means of fishing, giving
also illustrations of the various kinds
OF nets and hooks in use.
Mr.. Cobb also goes at length into the
methods of handling fish, giving an
account of the markets in each of the
cities, and dealing also with the whole
sale and import trade.
Mr.. Cobb also goes into the question
of private fishery rights, and then
gives an outline of the fishing industry
OF each island.
One of the interesting subdivisions
in the report is that devoted to the
early whaling voyages, and to the seal
and sea-otter fisheries.
Professor Cobb has the following to
say of the old oyster beds at Pearl
Harbor: :
Formerly there were quite ex-
tensive beds of native oysters in
Pearl Harbor, but of late year
little attention has been given to
the gathering of these, and it is
not known whether they are to be
found in abundance now or not. The
mounds of oyster and other shells
found at various places around the
harbor indicate that oysters were a
favorite and common article of food
many years ago. For considerable
period they were practically forgotten,
until in 1871 Captain e. Wood, of Ho-
nolulu, discovered some beds while
surveying around the harbor; since
then natives have gathered them in
limited quantities for sale at the Homo
lulu market. They are said to have a
very good flavor
Prof. Cobb also gives some valuable
data concerning the pearl fisheries of
early years at the same place, the name
Pearl Harbor" evidently being derived
from the pearl. The report has the fol-
lowing bearing upon the subject:
During the early years of last CEN
tury pearl oysters were first discovered
in the locality now bearing the name
OF Pearl Harbor, about nine miles from
Honolulu magnificent sheet of wa.
ter. running about ten miles back into
the interior, and about four miles
across in the widest part 1t is divided
into two parts by an island and a mar
row strip of the mainland running
down about the center of it. The beds
were located at the head of the harbor.
As the value of the discovery soon be-
came manifest, the king declared it a
royal monopoly, and he employed
divers to bring up the oysters, which
were found in great plenty.
Speaking of the marine fauna James
jackson Jarves, the historian of the
Islands, says:
Edible shell-fish are also abundant.
of which the pearl oyster is very palat-
able. Pearls are abundant, but of no
great size or beauty They formerly
constituted a profitable branch OF
trade and were monopolized by the
king.
The shell, or mother-of-pearl, formed
the more valuable part of the product
and was usually shipped to China.
where 1t found ready sale. but the
business was so vigorously prosecuted
that before 1850 it had ceased to exist,
owing to the exhaustion of the bed.
Pearls have been found on the Puma
coast, on Hawaii, inclosed in a large
mollusk, shaped like pearl oyster
and called pa" by the natives. The
pearls are of but little value. owing 10
the dark streaks in the center of them
me natives use the portion of the
snea around the valve in making fish
hooks, as this part has the rough ONT
hne OF a hook already and is easiIv
worked This mollusk is quite rare
now and is highly priced by the ma
tlyes when found