Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-06-04
! A Lepers' Village.
a Curiou. rown n the sandwIeh I.I.nd..

! A r,mrtou. ro,y. n, the s,rdwi.h r.,.ra.
l'1lTJ 11f T''r~---- @~"T -l'-' ~
q In William r. Bliss's new book oI
travel In the Sand dwicll Islands, be Dc.
scribes us follows a a"I.epers' Village"
l.There is leprosy in the Hawaiian
blood, but none Of IL is TO be seen ia
Honolulu, US those who are afflicted
with II are sent 70 the lepers' village.
on the island OF Molokai. 8 al Wi
ITO visit the settlement on Moloka;
which is about thirty miles east OF
Honolulu, wc embark on NJ olippor.
schooner bound to windward TO bring
down cargo of sugar from Lahaipe
Ia town on the island Of Maui, where
lepers may bc seen in It's ono broad
street. Az Etaliiyib ss0as gii gelrn.
"Aftcr rolling 10 starboard and roll.
ing 10 Iarboard all night long, the
schooner 'heaves TO- at sunrise of the
southern coast Of the island, and we
are set ashore from small boat 10
the little burbor OF Kaunakaki.g 10 ii
i'fThe island is green with vegeta.
ton, but is nearly deserted. There
are less than fifteen hundred persons
on il, although ii contains one hun
dred and seventy square miles. As
We ride on horseback away from the
shore, up the ascending plains, in a
northeastern direction, we pass desert
cd garden patches fallen walls and
ruins of native huts, ON which knots
Of long grass are waving like signals
Of distress. ban a0sl518 ia eT1 ll
"Crossing succession Of groen hills,
we come suddenly TO the brink of the
precipice Of Kalaupapa, which looks
north to the ocean and is two thous.
and feet high Below, from the foot
of tho precipice, stretches plain. d..
versiicd with hills and wales and reach
ing to the distant shore. where il
curves like a scythe into the sea, turn.
ing up white swarth AGAINST tho
trade wind. The plain Is covered
with luxuriant vegetation; but we
can see no life on il. Here and there
few brown huts catch tho eve. Far
on the right are dots of white houses
That is the leper village. A stecp
bride path zigzags down the front OF
the prccipicc, and we must dcsdcnd
IT, Under wroathing vines, white
blossoms and swinging trailers, which
udorn and obstruct the descent into
this valley of death, the horses step
carefully aud tcdiously. In al, hour
they reach the plain, when a gallop of
two miles brings us to the settlement
1t consists of detached houses, enclosed
by low walls or picket fences. stand.
ing in open pasture lands and sweet
potato fields. Papara, pubala, banana
trees and winding brook give pic
turesque appearance TO the village -
Its horizon is bounded on one side by
the Hower-covercd precipice, which
shuts off the world, and on tho other
side by ihA oeean....
"svery prospect plea'o', and only man is vile"
Every person in this community
is u leper. OF those who have not
sore hands or feet, the men till the
ground and the women braid mats.
Those who cannot take care of them
selves are nnrsed in hospitals by leper
nurses. The boys and girls 60 TO
school to lcpcr teachers, learning the
branches OF a simple education which
none OF them can probably live long
enough to appreciate. They leave the
school with frOllcsOme RhOtta. they