The Dickinson press., 1888-02-04
TIE FEATHER CLOAK.
THE FAMOUS WAR ROBE OF THE
kAMEHAMEHAS.

A Lady Gives Her Personal Experience
with the Historical Garlnent-Chat
with u Dusky BrOwed nueen-A Robe
of Rare Workmanship.
Some years ago. during all extended yacht
ing cruise among the islands of the Pacific,
We ran into Honolulu, as we felt deeply in
terested i'll the people of Hawaii from the
dattering reports of the missionaries. We
received a warm welcome from prominent
people to whom we had carried letters from
friends. This was during thercign of Kane
hameha I'LL. The people We're more simple i'll
their habits than now,a and they We're not de-
moraliZed as now hy the Chinese element.
The women in their floating garments, now
called Mother Hublard>, with wrratllS of
natural flowers bound round their heads.
were picturesque objects as they dashed past,
sitting man fashion on their horses.
Mrs. Judd. the wife OF the prime minister,
took me to many of their houses and we We're
always welcomed i'll Il graceful manner. y
day OF two after our arrival, Mrs. Judd told
me that she had arranged to present me in
formally to the queen that afternoon.
Nothing could excel the beauty OF the scene
as we walked from Dr.. Judd's house to the
lpNll IcSltlellCt. lue Slll WIS just SlllhlllS
afar off into the Pacific and the hills We're
all aglow with his %slanting rays. Vegetation
was most luNurient. In one place We passed
enormous masses and in all culnrs from deep
purple to o%verrilp golden. Arrived at the
mansion the queen and the Princess Victoria
met us on the gallery, which ran quite
around the building. They greeted Mrs.
Judd Familiarity and kindly, and gave mo Il
cordial welcome. l was soon seated bc>i,le
the dusky queen. My husband had gone
with DR.. Judd to make the acquaintance Of
the king.
found her majesty shy, and glad to Shell
ter herself underline protection of Mrs. judd.
She was II short, stout woman: Very dark,
with heavy features. She had lmpn n wunn
of the people. and for that reason her chill
dren, of whom she had several, We're not eli
gible to the succession. Her marriage to the
king, my friend told me, had been purely Il
love match, and that they were still an un-
usually devoted couple. | found CONVERSE
ton with the princess much easier than will,
the queen, for youth is sympathetic, and
we were both young. barely oul of our
teens. She too was very dark, with pleasant
manners and rather Il lrnsive air. She was
very curious about that far off world which
she knew of only 10y hcarsay. We were soon
Joined by the Prince Alexander, nephew of
the king and heir apparent to the throne, and
Il young American naval officer who had
been dining with the prince.
Our conversation ran on charmingly. for
getful of color or caste. An hour had passed
all too quickly. We had forgotten our elders.
when Mrs. judo invited me into the house To
see some objects of interest. only two of
which, however, have kept II distinct place in
my inelnory-the full length portrait of
Louis Philippe and the featherrl cloak of
the KamehameLa. The portrait had been
presented to u former Kamellalneha by the
king of France. The portrait held d place of
honor i'll Il drawing room opening to the
right from a wide hall, and the cloak had
been brought from its repository and placed
i'll the queens bedroom for my inspection.
This room we also entered from the hall. To
the left of the door and quite i'll u corner of
the room stood II high post lcdstead, and on
the bed lay the object of a nations rencra-
ton, the war cloak of the kamehamchas.
One of the gentlemen lifted the cloak from
the led and brought it toward u lamp i'll the
center of the room, the better to examine IFS
curious workmanship and extraordinary
beauty. Holding II corner of it i'll m hand
l heard scraps of its history from the various
mouths. The work all done by royal
fingers ''Only two of these feathers in u
bird" The race Of birds completely cxter-
minated" Tho only ono like it ever made"
etc, etc.
AS we stood thus expressing our admira-
ton. the naval officer took the cloak from
the hands of the prince and threw it over my
shoulders. saying as he did so, "tlat is the
roc41;or< rp, %l,o{ o1,nr a. 1o1,- ms =,
felt instinctively that he had done an i'm.
irrcvcrcntly an object of idolatrous respect.
Showing by my manner that / disapprovcd
of the act, 1 turned to the prince to remove
it, which he did i'll a very graceful way.
However, the royal mantle lay Oh my
shoulders, the most expensive one certainly
that any human being ever wore. 1t is 4
complete scnicircle, and fell III ample folds
about the bottom of my dress, and | am tall
like Rosalind, ''nlore than common tall" II
is made on a foundation of network wovcl
of the fiber of II tree. The feathers are
sewed in with n Irvine made of the same ma
terial. 1t is soft and even us plush, of {
beautiful golden orange, shading to silver
gray. The feathers were taken from the %
But two feathers are used from each bird
1t is said to have been generations III max
ing, and feathers and work costing ovel
s1,00O,ND. The feathers were paid for il
pieces of nankeen, four feathers for a piec,
valued at $50. AS the feathers are no
over two inches long, some idea may b.
formed of the number required for a gar
ment of this size. When Kalakaua wa
crowned i'll 1883 he Wore this robe for hi
coronation. making the ninth king who ha
been so ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" in New Yor
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