The times., 1898-10-02
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with feathers tied in bundles, ready 10 be made
up into kahiis if upon regal occasions the demand
1 should exceed the supply on hand. The handles
/ of these big piumes were OF bone or poilshed
wood ] saw neatly pieced into one-a very
ancient heirloom-the white wrist-bone OF
I chiefess. and in another the thigh bone OF a
! chief. These had come down from the time oil
| the first kamebameha, and from long usage hau
acquired a polish like livery.
Ii took much urging and entreating TO get
| even a glimpse of the beautiful mamos. They are
as much part of the islands as the great vol
canO, and to miss seeing the one IS as great
| misfortune failing 10 see the other. In large
! circular box of galvanized iron was great num-
| ber of small collars with patterns in black or
scarlet feathers upon the dazzling yellow ground.
! These were worn by the mobiles in attendance
| upou the chief The larger mantles were stored
in long chests and kept under lock and key. Ihey
We're wound smoothly, without crease or crlnkie,
! round long poles and then covered with many
folds of some sort of native cloth; and ued 50
securely that il little difficult to unias'eh
them. Like the kahilis, the mantles were made
of the yellow feathers Of the 90 (Acroiocercus
nobilis) This is a bird which is extremely rare
and lives in the mountains of the islands OF
Hawaii and Maui, but Is not found on the lslahd
of Oahu. Ii is a small bird. with long, curved
beak, and lives upon honey; It's plumage Is piach,
changing to green, and under each wing Is
single small cluster Of yellow feathers. FROM
these the royal mantles were made; the pltus
were not destroyed, but were shared, the Costly
feathers secured and the bird was then set nee
The foundation Of each mantle lacr-llEe
net made from the fiber OF the olono, or native
hemp. and upon these the tiny yellow feathers
no larger than those of a canary birds plumAge'
had been fastened one by one, making snooIh
surface dazzling as a cloth Of gold The mantels
of the chiefs were several yards in length, ana
were carried by train bearers. Lieut. Laird SAID
that even al the low valuation OF native laoor
each royal mantle was worth over million dol
lars tribute being formally eXacted IN 90 feath-
ers, i few every year from each subject
Miss Krout has some rather severe crit
icisms to offer when she comes TO dis
cuss the advent OF Mr.. Blount and the
action of President Cleveland in 1888
There is a picturesque description of the
lowering of the American flag in Homo
lulu. and the writer speaks OF one Amerl-
can woman. who sat in her carriage look
ing on. and weeping passionately, and
who exclaimed:
''They may lower it from the tower. but it shall
float over my house as long as ! have life and
breath TO keep it thereN
The leper island is described in another
chapter, although the author did not visit
# She visited Kilauea, however, and the
chapter telling of this trip is one of the
most interesting. The hotel at the vol
cano is described as an excellent one,
situated in a picturesque place and filled
with souvenirs left there by tourists, dis
tinguished and otherwise-in fact, just
IS a Vision by Mark Twain, written at
the time of his visit in 1866. 1t was repub-
lished in one of the Honolulu papers and
copy was sent TO him several years
later. He sent a letter explaining that
he must have been pretty young then, or
sick, or something" and asked that it be
taken out of the register Instead of this
tho letter was pasted beside the Vision"
to keep it company.
The second half of the book is most
valuable, being full of information,
without the trivial details which fill up
more than half of the first few chapters.
AS a whole, the volume is interesting and
valuable. but 1t would be improved by
a boiling down which should reduce it
one-third. AS it is unlikely that this will
! be done. the reader anxious 10 gain
! knowledge by the shortest cut, is advised
to glance over the headings of the chap
| ters and select those of especial interest,
instead of reading the book through from
the beginning. (New York: Dodd, Mead
! & Coz