Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-23
A MlLLuoN.DOLLAR CLOAK.
The Red and Yellow Royal Mantle Of
the Kamchameha Dynasty.

AN INTERESTING OBJECT IN THE NusEUN-A GAR
hENT THAT REQUIRED MANY GENERATIONS OF
PATIENT Toll TO xAkE-oSLY CERTAIN FEATHERS
OF RARE BIRD Uskp IN ITS FABRICATION.
81 don't care: wouldn't wear uI'
but see what IL cost You don't mean 20 say
you wouldn't wear a cloak that cost a million dol
lars?" said the stout man. In a satirical tone that
indicated that the woman he addressed was his
wife.
The pair had stopped before the royal feather
cloak IRON the sandwich Islands that IS spread
out fan-shaped In case In the National Museum.
THIS cloak Is computed 10 have cost In labor one
million dollars The native name for it is mans
In the days when a Hawaiian beau or belle wanted
little clothing but wanted that gorgeously colored
this CLOAK or mantle would have been considered
OF more value, estheucally and intrinsically,
tnan shipload OF Worth costumes and It's happy
possessor might truly Be said 10 he IN high feather
since the natives have adopted wide trousers.
la"n-tenns shirts, aud four-in-hand ties, its value
lies chieny Ia the traditions that surround Il.
The mantle, which Is semi-circuar, Is 4 feet long
or de ~ and IL Is IN feet wide at the bottom and
rs inches at the top where II goes around the
heck The entire outer surface is made OF feathers
OF nne texture giving the whole the app arance OF
plush. The prevailing colors are red and yellow OF
orange. The body Is decorated with large nyures,
crescent-snaped OF either red or We low feathers.
The upper and lateral borders are corded and
decorated with alternate TUFTS OF red, black aud
yellow feathers
HE DIED WITH HIS CLOAK ON.
A legend on label states that this feather cloak
formerly belonged TO Kehuarka lani, one OF the
highest chiefs OF the Sandwich islands After the
abolition OF idolatry In 1919 that chief rebeIled
against the reignlng king. and attempted 10 re-
e s the ancient religions sangulnary bat.
Tie was fought and kehuarkalani was sain. AMI
TINS CLOAK, which he then had on, fell into the
hands OF the conquerors, and thus became the
property or King kamehameha, by whom IL was
presented 10 Capt. J. IA. Aunck, L. s. ", In ls4l.
Inc CLOAK Is how The property Of Captain Au-
Hicks grandson Richmond ogston Aulick, who de-
posted II In the National Museum. The great
value OF the cloak Is due 10 the long time required
10 secure the feathers that compose II and " man
ufacture the cloak.
now IT WAS MADE
The foundation Is a network OF olona, or native
hemp, and TO IL are attached by nne thread OF the
same material the feathers OF birds found only In
the Hawaiian Islands, and very rare there. Recent
writers have declared that the bird is extinct
The feather, are woven In SO as 10 lap eaca other
and lie nat forming a smooth, plush-ike s1rfaca.
The Inner surface Is without lining an shows the
olona network and the quill ends OF the
feathers The cord OF the upper margin Is pro-
longed so as 10 serve as a fastening at the throat
The yellow feathers are obtained from the 90 or
Cho. ana, as stated are OF great value as the bird
Is rare very shy, and difficult to capture and it
has but very small tuft Of these feathers upon
each shoulder. The black feathers are from the
head and back OF the same bird-its general
pluma,e being a glossy black. The 90 Is caught
aIive by means OF oiri-llme; the yellow feathers
are then plucked and the bird released. The red
pants Coccinea, the most abundant bird OF the
Sandwich Islands.
THE WORK OF SEVERAL GENERATIONS.
The Hawaiian Spectator, a newspaper published
Ia 1889, refers TO this, OF similar MANTLE fol-
lows: "kawkeaui has the Mans, or feather war
cloak OF his father, Ta-Meha-Meha IL was not
completed until mis- reign having occupied eight
preceding ones In its fabrication. piece OF nam
keen, valued at $50, Was formerly the price OF
nve OF the yellow feathers BY this estimate the
value OF the cloak would equal that or the purest
diamonds In several OF the kurop an regdlla, ana,
Including the price Of the feathers not less tnan
million dollars worth oil labor was expended upon
IL at the present rate OF computing wages"
A bunch or the yellow Tea, hers called hulu was
received by the king from his subjects In payment
OF poll AK, and IL required many Years 10 collect
the material and manufacture one OF these man
ties UnJn recent years these NANTES were the
royal robes OF state, and considered TIE principal
treasures OF the crown; but European clothIny
has entirely superseded them and they are not
now manufactured. A beautiful head dress FOR
women, called leiS was made OF these feathers
Another authority states that two yellow feath-
ers only are obtained from each 90, and tnese are
found under the wings When Tue mucn-prized
feathers are plucked the bird Is set at liberty
The price OF the feathers, according 10 this au-
tnorty, was $l5o Tor three, aud the Jime occupied
IN making the COAX was estimated from % ~ 100
years
OTHER FEATHER CIoAKs
There are other feather cloaEs like this one In
existence, and there appears TO be som confusion
as TO tleir original ownership. One like that in
the National Museum was exhibited by Lady
Brassey at The International Fisheries Exhibition
in London In 1883. IL was, IL WAS st4ted, pre-
Sented by Queen Pomare, OF the sandwich Islands.
TO Capt Thompson, Ior the protection extended 10
her against tue French In lS43. Inns CLOAK APP
peared 10 be newer than The one In The
Museum, and hence OF less value historically.
IL Was 80 highly priced, however, that IL was Ia
sured for fle0,OOO. A writer In The New York
Home Journal described recently Cloak she saw
While wishing Honolulu, during the regn OF
kainehamena. Ibis, Iro.n her description, Was
Ike Tue one presented 10 Commodore Auck. aud
now in the Museum. She spoke OF IL as the war
cloak OF the kauleuam mas, The object Of nations
veneratlon, aud the only like II ever made.
Tnis roue, The writer said, WAS worn by kalaAaua,
When he was crowned, aud lac Was the ninth Alag
wuo mad been So adorned