8 



BRrCrHAM ON HAWAHAN FEATHER WORK. 



"This donation I am wtll persuaded was directed 1)\- his own grateful heart, without having 

 received the least hint or advice from any person whatever, and was the effect of principles, highly 

 honorable to more civilized minds. The cloak I received and gave him the most positive assurance 

 of ac5ling agreeably with his direclions." 



I have given the extraft.s from these early voyagers in full for it is the only 

 authentic information that we have from foreigners: that from native sources is very 

 meagre and indefinite. Even in recent times we can learn nothing very exacflly about 

 these ancient cloaks: for example when King Lunalilo was buried, his father Kanaina 

 insisted upon putting the fine feather cloak which had been laid over the remains, into 

 the coffin with him. This was in 1S74, and hundreds must have seen this cloak as the 



a b c d 



FIG. 4. IIWI, Of AXD APAPAXK: SPHCIMHXS IX THK lUSHOl' .MLSHLM. 



royal corpse was exposed to the view of the people; I have questioned many most in- 

 telligent foreigners and natives with the result that one saw the cloak and only 

 remembers that it was yellow and large; another sa\-s it was not all 3-ellow but had 

 some other color, btit whether red or black he cannot say: another is sure it had some 

 pattern but whether crescents or triangles could not say: still another is under the 

 impression that the cloak was entirely red! The most trustworthy testimony places a 

 green crescent in the middle. Little of a more definite natttre is to be gathered from 

 native song and tradition, although both cloaks and kahilis are mentioned and the 

 royal birds play a ccnispictious part in many a fine old luelc. Then the absttrd stories 

 repeated in almost every new book written abotit these islands, although false, seem 

 immortal. How often is the statement repeated in book and on label that the bird of 



the spear, but at the tiiue of my last visit to England the Windsor private museum in the castle. All of these Her Majesty has gra- 



cloaks had "been sent to the furrier for repairs." Since my visit ciously allowed me to have photographed and they will be described 



renewed search has been made for this cloak at Windsor, but without in due order. The cloak Vancouver so carefully carried to his sov- 



success. other cloaks and capes were found and are now in the ereign has probabh' perished. 



