Many feathers were gathered for the preparation of the jubilee of King Kalakaua. New capes and kahili were made for the occasion. A bedspread of red cock's feathers was made for the King's bed, and the Queen had a blue velvet holoku made, trimmed with bands of peacock feathers. The band that bordered the skirt was quite wide. At this time several hula chants were composed for the Queen mentioning some of the places where the feathers were obtained, such as Waimanalo, Mokumanu, and Mololani. This series was called mele nu'a hulu, or chants of the feather mat. The nu'a was often a pile of mats--a coarse one on the floor, another and better one atop that one, then another finer still, and so on until there was a pile about a foot or more in height, with the very best mat at the top. On this, royalty or favorite children reposed.
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