72 BRIG HAM ON HAWAIIAN FEATHER WORK. 



in Park Lane, London, and the acconnt given in the catalogne of the mnsenm is as 

 follows: 



"The Royal Featlier Cloak, one of the great attractions of the Ivxhibition [159], is made 

 from the feathers of the 00 and niamo birds,''' local names given to the rare birds from which these 

 feathers are procured. It measures 5 feet in length, 2 feet 4 inches at the neck, and 12 feet at the 

 skirt. There are only a few specimens known, which were brought over by Captain Cook from 

 Owhyhee'" and which are now in the British Mnseum. The manufacture was a work of years, and 

 the art is now believed to be oljsolete. They are woven with great skill into, as it were, a string. 

 Each cloak has its own hiitory. which is inscribed in the archives of the Hawaiian Islands. King 

 Kalakaua, during his \-isit to this country in 18S1, when at Normanhurst Court, expressed his sur- 

 prise at discovering such a rarity so far away from his dominions, and promised that the history of 

 this cloak should be copied from the ancient "Meles" or records, and sent to Lady Brassey. King 

 Kalakaua was at that time en(lea\'oring to form a collecftion of feathers to make a new ro\'al robe for 

 the Queen Kapiolani, for which purpose he had offered a dollar for every single feather. Some idea 

 of the extraordinary intrinsic ualue of this cloak may be formed from the aliove statement. It was 

 connecfled with the first pretended cession of Tahiti, Tamil, and the Societ\- Islands to the French in 

 1843. In that year Sir Thomas Trigge Thompson [then Captain Thomp.son] was in command of 

 H. M. S. Talbot in the South Seas. The French, partly by promises, partly by threats, had ex- 

 torted from Queen Pomare a cession of her kingdom to their nation, but she, who had never willingly 

 consented, appealed to the British commander for protecflion. Her pathetic letters to the Queen of 

 England are recorded. Captain Thompson would not recognize the newly-constituted anthoritw and 

 persisted in saluting the old national flag, and refusing any honor to that hoisted \i\ the hVench 

 officials. It is unnecessary to record the history of the events coiuiected with this incident, but it 

 ma\' be confidentl\' surmised that Queen Pomare was not wanting in gratitude towards the British 

 commander who stood by her and u])held her rights. The above royal precious feather cloak was 

 received as a present b_v Captain Thompson in recognition of his services." 



Kamehameha III. received a present of a carriage from Pomare, and it may be 

 that the cloak was sent in rettirn. In ancient days intercourse was more common 

 between the Hawaiian and Society Groups than at present, and at one time in modern 

 history a project was formed for uniting tlie two royal families by marriage. 



57. Cloak of iiwi with basal border, two spherical triangles and four semi- 

 crescents of 00; narrow frontal border of 00, and cervical border of yellow, red and 

 black. Length, 48. 5 inches; front, 43 inches; ba.se, 144 inches. Given to the late 

 Commodore Lawrence Kearny, U. S. N., by Kamehameha III. on the occasion of the 

 Commodore's visit to Honolulu in 1843 on a diplomatic errand from the United States 

 Government. It is now in possession of the Commodore's son. The yellow feathers 

 are somewhat damaged, l:iut the red are nearly intact. Fig. 95. From a photograph. 



58. Cloak of iiwi with a basal border, three cervical .semicircles, three frontal 

 triangles on each side, and twenty-two circles of 00, some of the latter interspersed with 

 a few mamo. Brought to Boston by tlie ship Columbia, Captain John Hendrick, which 

 sailed from that port September 30, 1787, visited the Hawaiian Islands between the 

 visits of Cook and Vancouver, and returned to Boston August 10, 1790, having carried 

 the United States flag for the first time round the world. The subsequent history of 

 this cloak is unknown until it came into the possession of the Joy family of Boston. 



36'rhe name maiiio is a mistake for iiwi. 



37Unfortunately Captain Cook never retnrncd from Hawaii (Owhyliee). 



