38 B RICH AM ON HA WAIIAN FEA THER WORK. 



troublesome dorsal band.' The ordinary malo is shown on the statue, a proof that the 

 cordon was not used as a malo, an impossible feat. Perhaps no competent critic saw the 

 model after the cordon was added, or it was thought best not to remove the band after 

 the cast was made. As there was no living Hawaiian who had seen such a cordon worn 

 either by Kamehameha or Kaumualii, the absence of criticism may be understood.' 



That these malo were not peculiar to the Hawaiians may be seen from the ac- 

 count given in Cook's last voyage^ where in inspecting the Tahitian sacred places they 



were shown some bundles. "One of the bundles was now untied; and it was found to 



contain the )iialo with which these people invest their kings; and which seems to answer, 

 in some degree, to the European ensigns of royalty. It was carefully taken out of the 

 cloth, in which it had been wrapped up, and spread, at full length, upon the ground 

 before the priests. It is a girdle about five yards long, and fifteen inches broad; and 

 from its name, seems to be put on in the same manner as the common vialo or piece of 

 cloth, used by these people to wrap around the waist. It was ornamented with red and 

 yellow feathers; but mostly with the latter, taken from a dove found upon the island. 

 The one end was bordered with eight pieces, each about the size and shape of a horse 

 shoe, having their edges fringed with black feathers. The other end was forked, and 

 the points were of different lengths. The feathers were in square compartments, ranged 

 in two rows, and otherwise, so disposed as to produce a pleasing effect. They had been 

 first pasted or fixed upon some of their own country cloth and then sewed to the upper 



» Since the above was written I have seen a copy of the photograph of the model sent to the sculptor and I am glad 

 to clear him of all responsibility for the strange misuse of the cordon in passing it over the cloak; the blame for this 

 must rest on those who had the photograph taken. The ungraceful position of the left hand was changed by the 

 artist but he could not have been expected to be versed in the peculiarities of ancient Hawaiian adornment. In the 

 photograph sent not only was the cordon placed over the cloak but the main ornament, the terminal set with teeth was 

 not visible in front! I can only suppose that King Kalakaua in his apprenticeship to royalty as assistant chamberlain 

 to Kamehameha V, never saw such a cordon adorning his royal master who was greatly averse to personal display as 

 I was convinced by my acquaintance with that monarch, who probably never saw the cordon in question. 



- It seems well to give the history of the statue in brief. In 187S the Hawaiian Legislative assembly made an appro- 

 priation to provide a monument to commemorate the centennial of the rediscovery of the Group by Captain James 

 Cook; Messrs. Gibson, Kapena, Kaai, Cleghorn and Nawahi were appointed a special committee to carry out the 

 work, with powers to act during the recess of the Assembly. The Honorable Walter M. Gibson the originator of the 

 commemoration idea, engaged the well-known Boston sculptor Thomas R. Gould to design a statue of Kamehameha 

 as the Commemorative Monument (although the Conqueror had very little to do with Cook's visit, and Vancouver, 

 who was Lieutenant on Cook's Expedition, refers to him as a young and very savage-looking chief). A contract with 

 the sculptor was drawn by James W. Austin, Esq., and he with Mr. EMward M. Brewer, both former residents of Hono- 

 lulu, then of Boston, acted as agents of the Committee. The statue was to be of bronze, heroic size, and to cost Jio,ooo. 

 The models furnished the sculptor, who had never .seen a Hawaiian, were the original Kotzebue portrait, and that in 

 the voyage of Duniont D'Urville; photographs of several well-built Hawaiians arrayed in the royal Mamo cloak, the 

 Mahiole of Kaumualii, the cordon already described and a good war-spear. The statue was to be eight feet and six 

 inches from the base to the crest of the helmet. As panels in the pedestal four bronzes in has rc/Zey' depicted the fol- 

 lowing scenes: Kamehameha's first meeting with Cook on board the Resolution off Lahaina in 1778; Kamehameha 

 warding off five hostile spears thrown at one time; his review of the Peleleu fleet of war canoes off Kohala; and the 

 old men, women and children reposing in peace by the roadside during his reign. A photograph of the model of the 

 statue is in the Bishop Museum. The original statue was modeled and cast in Florence, and shipped from Leghorn 

 in 1S80, but the vessel was lost off the Falkland Islands. The insurance procured a replica which in due time arrived, 

 was erected in its present place, and was unveiled February 14, 1883, as a part of the coronation ceremonies of King 

 Kalakaua. It has long been a custom of the Hawaiians to wreath the statue with leis on Kamehameha Day, June 11. 

 Of late the statue has been illumined in the evening by concealed lights. Several years later the original cast was 

 recovered, .slightly damaged, brought to Honolulu, purchased by the Government and erected in Kohala, Kameha- 

 meha's birthplace. (See Thrum's Annual and the Pacific Commercial Advertiser of July 27, 1912.) 

 ^Cook, III Voyage, VoL II, p. 37. 



