FEATHER KAHILIS. 



15 



brushed away with smaller ones all troublesome insefts. In public they were tokens; 

 in private fly-flaps. The picture of Nahienaena, sister of Kauikeaouli, shows one in 

 her hand. Fig. 10, p. 17. When oil portraits were introduced those of chiefs often had 

 small kahilis attached to the side of the frame. The small kahilis were easily made 

 and became very common; were used as presents and so fell into the hands of others 



FIG. 8. KAHILIS. ""'■" 



than the nobility, thus losing much of their meaning. The late royal family, however, 

 retained them to the end of the monarchy, and royal personages had them at their side 

 at feasts or public receptions. 



Of these small kahilis the Bishop Museum has four score, and examples are 

 found in most museums. The large kahilis used only on solemn occasions are now 

 limited in number, all the important historic ones are in this INIuseum and no more 

 will ever legitimateh- be made. I know of none in any foreign museum. 



The pole, at first a mere support or stem, became from the force of circum- 

 stances the impersonation of the whole kahili in this way: a kahili was made for a 

 chief, was named, and, when the occasion for its use had passed, its feathers were taken 

 off and stored away; the form was dissolved and only the name remained to the pole 

 which might when the next need arose be again clothed with the same or other 

 feathers, and in similar or quite different form. Often the pole was a spear {pololu 

 kani'la), or a stick of well rounded koa {Acacia koa^ Gray), and in later times cabinet 



