קובץ:Lady Franklin Cape, Memoirs Bishop Museum, Vol. VII, Plate II.jpg

English: The Lady Franklin Cape, Memoirs Bishop Museum, Vol. VII, Plate II.

A very beautiful cape given by King Alexander Liholiho (Kamehameha IV) in 1861 to Lady Jane Franklin who in her tireless search for traces of her lost husband came to these islands in hope of gathering from the hardy whalers then frequenting our harbors in the winter season some tidings of possible relics of Sir John Franklin's expedition that might be noticed in their summer visits to the Arctic seas. Public sympathy was excited strongly and the king noted his by the gift of this much-prized cape. On the death of Lady Franklin (July 18, 1875) the cape was bequeathed to Mr. G. B. Austen Lefroy from whom the Museum purchased it in 1909. It was sent on approval that we might assure ourselves of its excellent condition. Packed with great care and as protection on the long sea voyage it was soldered in a tin case. It was in a time of peace and there were no censors. The officials in San Fraucisco tore open the case (as they had perhaps the right and certainly the power), assessed a duty of $14.60, and without restoring the packing sent it on two thousand miles farther by sea. As objects for this Museum are exempt from duty the Government corrected the mistake of its customs officer and refunded the money. Even a democractic Government is not always efficient.

The extreme width of the cape is 36 inches; the depth behind is 16.5 inches, and in front 11.5 inches. The specimen is in perfect order, the colors bright as when made. The yellow is oo, the central crescent is of black oo on the upper half and crimson apapane feathers on the lower. For the exact color of these rare apapane feathers see Memoirs I, p. 10, Feather Work.' The bird is Himatione sangninea, Cabanis. The two open half crescents are of apapane with yellow oo for centre; the lower half crescents are of black oo. In the neck-band are seven red and six black spots alternating with yellow. The network foundation seems rather coarse, cut for the cape, and is turned in on the front borders. Evidently it has not seen much use and was probably made in the time of the early Kamehamehas.