The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-06-16
COSTLIRST CLOAK ON EARTH.
ONE AT THE NATIONAL MUSE UM
Hns Had Value Placed Upon It Of a
 Million Dollars.

II old fashions prevailed now, oul
 government officers in the Hawaiian is- lands might be called upon to wear
 cloaks that represent value of at least
 million dollars. One now in the Ma tional museum is said to be of that value.
 It is surely without a superior in eth- nological interest and uniqueness of workmanship. At one time it belonged to Kekua-skalani, one of the highest chieftains of the Sandwich islands, After the abolition of idolatry there in 1919, he rebelled against the king and attempted to re-establish the ancient religion. In a bloody battle he was slain, however, and this wonderful cloak, which he wore in that Hateful battle, fell into the hands of the con- querors, and then passed into the pos session of King Kamehameha III, The Solitary or Lonely" From him 1t descended to King Kanikeaouli, and was later presented to Captain J. II. Aulick, of the United States navy
 Some idea of the amount of work ex- pended in making this war cloak may be gathered from the fact that the time required for it's manufacture extended through eight reigns preceding that of King Kamehameha. It is four feet long and has a spread of eleven and one-half feet. The ground work is of coarse netting, made of olona, a native hemp from the fiber of the hau tree and to this the feathers which are ex- ceedingly delicate and very small, are skillfully attached overlapping each C., J.,nr surface. The feathers around the bor- der are reverted, and the whole pre- sents bright and beautiful appear ance, as of mantle of gold. The up- per and lateral borders of the cloak, which are corded with a string of the olona, are decorated with alternate tufts of red, black and yellow feathers. The body is decorated with alternate figures, generally crescent shaped, com- posed of either red or yellow feathers. The inner surface is without lining, and shows the olona network and the quill ends of the feathers. The cord of the upper margin is prolonged to form a fastening at the throat.
 The yellow feathers are those of the rare bird Oo. or Uho, mahoa noblis, while the red feathers are taken from the body and neck of drepauis coccinea, one of the most abundant birds lnhabi- ting the Hawaiian group. It is the vel low feathers, however that are of such great value. They were at one time used by the natives in payment of poll | tax to the king. Only two of these | feathers are obtained from each bird | (from under the wings), so that the I number of birds captured from which a | sufficient number of feathers could be | obtained in making this cloak must l have been very great.
 The capture of these birds is effected I with much care and toll. Long poles, | smeared with some adhesive substance and well-baited, are placed in the Vi- einity of their haunts. The bird alights on the pole, and being unable to dis engage itself, is readily caught. The two so much desired feathers are plucked and the bird is then set at lib- ehty. At one time three of these vel low feathers were worth dollar and a half, and it is largely on this basis that the value of this cloak has been esti- mated, as ment toned at the outset.
 Until recent years cloaks of this kind were counted among the most precious of the royal treasures of the kings of the Sandwich islands, but since Euro pean dress has been adopted they are now rarely or never seen.-Washingto Times