The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-05-22
A Lepers' Village.

A Curious Town in the Sandwich Islands,
Tn William r. Bliss's new book OF
travel in the Sandwich Islands, he de-
scribes MS follows " Lepers' village
"There is leprosy in the Hawallan
blood. but none of it is to be seen IN
Honolulu. as those who are afflicted WIN
II are sent to the lepers' village, on the
island of Molokai.
"To visit the settlement on Molokal,
which is about thirty miles east OF Hon
olulu. we embark ON clipper-schooner
bound to windward to bring down
cargo of sugar from Lahaina-a town
on the island of Maui, where lepersm
be seen in it's one broad street. -
=" After rolling to starboard ana roli-
ing to larboard all night long,, the .
schooner 'heaves to- ut sunrise on uno
southern coast of the island, and we are
set ashore from small boat III the ii'Vio
harbor of Kaunakaki.
"The island is green with vegetation,
h,t is nearly deserted. There are less
than fifteen hundred persons on IT, al,
thouph it contains one hundred anu
seventy square miles. AS we ride on
horseback away from the shore, up tle
ascending plains, in northeastern dl-
rection. we pass deserted gardenpatches'
fallen walls and ruins OF native mus,
on which knots of long grass are waving
like signals of distress. I'LL
"Crossing a succession OF green mis-,
we come suddenly to the BRINK OF the
precipice of Kalaupapa, when LOOKS
north to the ocean and is two thousano
feet high. Below, from the foot OF the
nrecipice, stretches plain, dlverslhfeo
With hills and wales, and reaching to the
distant shore, where it curves IKE
scvtbe into the sea, turning up q wnlte
swath against the trade wind. Inc
nloin is covered with luxuriant vegeta-
tion: but we can see no life on 1t. here
= and there n few brown huts catch the
) eve. Far on the right are dots OF "hl'e
: houses. That is the leper village. "A
7 steep bridle-path zigzags down the
1 front of the precipice, and we muSt ae-
t scend it. Under wreathing vines, whlte
| blossoms and swinging trallefs' wiicn ii:n
l adorn and obstruct the descent lhVo tlllS
e valley of death, the horses steP IIio
Y fully and tediously. In an hour Vney
:, reach the plain, when gailoP oi wa W.
n miles brings us to the settlenleny.
/ consists of detached houses, enclosed
n by low walls or picket fences, stahalnS
V i, onon nasture lands and sweet potato
s f.l1s Popara. prhala, banana trees
d and a winding brook give picturesque
d oppearance to the village. Its horizon
y is bounded on one side by the hoWrr-
T. covered precipice, which shuts OH the
Y world. and on the other side by the
IL ocean.
- "'Every prospect pleasos and only man il Viie'
If "Every person in this community IS
w q lener. OF those who have not sore
G. hands or feet, the men till the ground
es and the women braid mats. Those who
H. cannot take care of themselves are
st nursed in hospitals by leper nurses.
N The bows and girls go to school TO lepel
ii teachers, learning the branches OF SIM
Mt ple education which none of them can
" probably live long enough to appreciate
IN They leave the school with frocllsome
It, shouts; they romp across the green nelus
" euioying the air and sunshine ike chli
d, dren in other lands, unconscious OF tlell
lg misfortune.
of In grassy field near the sea.shore
be stands little church, visited all da.
II, by the sun and sea-breeze. Here
he native minister, a leper, leads rellgio1
ng services on Sunday for his mlserapl
d, fellows.
nc "Thcse poor people seem 10 be con
tented. Araton of five pounds OF 1resl
meat and twenty pounds OF vegetable
is issued weekly, in addition to wha
do each one cultivates with his own LABOR
he This support is so much better thah an
m ~, Hawaiian ever has at home, that native
10 living on other parts of the island hay
,ro desired to make themselves lepers !
-, order to be taken care of in this hit
ar' village of death. AS we turn away. ft
he our homeward journey, it is natural I
hn, wish. for the sake of humanity. tn
1rs m there might be in this beautiful vale
tho t n river Jordan into which these mise
' is able people could dip and be cleanse
+b. But the curse of Elish upon his CORFU
viii viii servant seems to be irrevocably ike
ase upon them:
Ike, 1.-The leprosy Of Naanan shall cleaVe uii
ow, thee and unto thy seed forever"
IL