The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-06-12


ery direction TO high pasture lands, passing th
farm Of Mr. Meyers, until we arrive at the edge o
the famous precipiee OF " Kalaupapa," 2OOO fee
above the sea level This precipice VIC shall hav
to descend, for 1t IS the only communication by lan
with Kalaupapa,n the Ianding-plaec of the set
Element from sea- A zigzaG road has been Gu
down this nearly perpendicular pail, which will Ger
iainly take an old and accustomed mouniainee
nearly one hour to descend. Arrived at Its foot
however, and following the trail VIC soon arrive a
the Fiat or landing place, where several nativ,
houses are scattered about. On an even, good road
the Leper Settlement is soon arrived at; it is arg
and extensive, surrounded by grand and imposing
scenery. The papaia, puhala and banana plant give
the village a cheerful appearance. Some Of tint
houses are fenced in by stone walls Others PLACED
among potato fields OF pasture lands The view
generally is picturesque; vegetation is luxuriant
the scenery is beautiful, and it's whole appearance
apart from the lepers themselves pleasant and agree
able The first house We arrive al is the dwelling
OF the Luna Makai; it has well furnished room
with apartments Tor stores of various descriptions
TO be distributed weekly 10 the lepcrs under the
rules.
A little further on, the house Of the Keeper is
reached. He has a neat commodious house with
two rooms to himself the other portions of the
house being appropriated for stores Of various de-
scriptions, out-ofice for the supply of medicine,
books, &c The buildings adjoining the principal
keepers house are two hospitals (male and lemale)
for those OF the sick unable attend to themselves
separate houses being provided for all those per
Of the leper valley who require special atten-
ton in regard TO diet, accommodation and medical
adm tact for all those too far advanced In the
disease 10 take care Of themselves.
In the quadrangle, of which the Superintendent
house forms one side, are to be found the separate
honses built for boys and girls with special build
ing for school-room; an Instructor for which es-
tabishment is generally 10 be obtained amongst the
lcpers themselves There are several other build
ings included here, useful necessary for general
purposes and the special control Of the stock and
material Of the establishment
Care is taken that The patients received here have
suitable food, a number OF mich cows furnish
plenty OF milk, morning and evening" and the food
is prepared by Chinese cook (aleper) belonging to
the establishment.
The children are taught the ordinary school in
struction Of the Misunderstanding, writing aritLme-
tic, geography and singing.
The scene presented TO a stranger on visiting
these school-rooms must necessarily be a sad one,
yet he cannot but reflect that it is well for the coun-
try and the whole race that these young people,
poisoned in their blood,-are taken away from the
community al large. The children, with an exccp-
ton or two, do not seem to feel their misfortune;
when they leave school they act as Others Of the
same age, running or playing their way home APP
parently unconscious of the fate that awaits them
4 little distance from this central place, nearer
the seaside, little church has been built, where
every Sunday native minister, q leper himself
holds 4 service. 1t is situated spacious grassy
ground, tine rays of the sun being tempered by the
cool, refreshing northerly breezes. 1t is well at
tended by the poor people for whose benefit it has
been specially erected.
The house OF the lepers are scattered throughout
the valley There is a stream al the head OF the set
Element, and visitor will meet numbers of lepers
on ordinary line day, some leading horses carry
ing bundles Of clothes in the direction of the stream;
Others carrying calabashes Of poi sweet,potatoes,
Sc.-in fact, the ordinary life of a Hawaiian village
Will be there in its usual routine and manners
The houses are generally well kept aud clean,
much 10 the credit Of the lepers themselves and the
Lunas placed over Them Included in the number
Of lepers several half castles or three China
men and one European. The females are admirably
making mats and other material for the
internal comfort aud accommodation of their cot
,ages. The males who are able ana WILLING to
do something, work their potato fields raise sugar
cane, bananas, &c great change for the better
has taken place amongst them during the past two
years. They now raise considerable quantities of
food, which supplements the supplies granted by the
Board at the time they still claim equality for
ILL., that is to say, that the ablebodied shall have the
same supply issued 10 them as is granted to those
who have lost hands, feet and in every other respect
Ire reduced to the necessity of having others supply
heir wants or dying from starvation. This evil .
however is gradually correcting itself
Fresh provisions only, are issued 20 the lepers-
i've pounds of meat and twcntyone pounds of pal. .
Ii per week the ordinary ratious issued from the
Department. The meat generally
mutton but this is varied at times by fresh beef
he product Of the herd belonging TO the Board,
which is gradually increasing, and may be expected
II no very distant day to reduce the sum now an
luay paid for sheep supplied to the Establishment
The ration is large one and exceeds that issued to
be soldiers Of the best supplied European and Am
rican armies nevertheless the complaint is chronic
+ Molokai wei at Kalhi that sufficient food is
lot supplied to the patients. The Board, however
an fairly assert that these people better supplied
han they ever were in their own homes-a proof of
Le assertion may be found in the fact that many
# the people living at the landing place of Kalau
apa have been anxious to make themselves lepers,
nd probably the whole population of that hamlet
would not object to be taken under the supervision
f the Board. Whoever has had experience in ira
cling around these Islands must know that there
re places where the people have nothing to cat bat
little poi, or a sweet potato with little kukui
ut and salt to make relish for the comparatively
lspid food.
Whatever these people raise has been recognized
S their own, with liberty to dispose of it as they
ke-and they have frequently sold OF their produce
uantities of sweet potatoes and numbers of pigs
is well to put these facts on record for the better
of those who have sometimes been mis-.
d by story-tellers, occasionally tinctured with a
srtain luminosity against the Institution
Some marriages have taken place among the lep-
s. but sterlity is the almost universal result-and
is fortunate that such is the case Within the five
sars existence of the Institution, and in popula-
on of several hundred people, only two births have
zen reported. The first case was born dead, the
her is living now, borne by woman who shows
D signs of leprosy, but her husband, with whom
lie lives, is perfect leper. Some doubts have been
ipressed about the paternity OF this child
Leprosy is more common among males than fe-
ales; two-thirds OF the lepers in Kaaupapa Val
y are males and one-third females This fact may
pear strange at first, more especially TO those who