The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-01-05
H1DEOUS HUMANITY.
LEPRosY IN TIE PACIFIC ISLES

THE ISLAND OF MISREPRESENTATION AND
HoRRID PICTURES OF MISERY.
A correspondent of the San Francisco
Chronicle has interviewed the lepers and
their abode at the Sandwich Islands. A few
passages of his horribly fascinating deScrip
lions are given herewitb: Ten years ago the
government first determined to separate the
lepers from the rest of the community. The
island of Molokai, or Molokai alma pail (tbe
land OF precipices,) between Oohu and Maui,
was chosen as the leper's home. The
island is not large, but its vol
csnic walls rise out OF the sea
to vertical height of FROM
covered walls and pinnacles of the island of
exile are gashed with gulches, forming
natural inlets, aud opening on to grassy
lawns OF limited extent, yet attractive
| beauty. The landing is at Kalauppa, on the
windwsrd side of the island, and misera-
bic place IL is, too. Three miles from the
landing is the leper village of Kalawao, on
the verge OF most singular
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. plain, beautiful
as the Garden of Eden. This plain is envi.
roned by the sea on one side, aud by prec-
ipice on the other 1000 feet high, which may
be assembled by a zigzsg brldle-psth flung
over the face Oft, but which is so steep that
cattle can not be brought down it, and all
| the meat supplies have TO come by water 10
the landing. Within this charming area
lives the isolated leprous community. They
have all the forms OF a well-regulated state
government, and, though almost law unto
themselves by reason OF their isolation from
| the central government, they are neverthe
/ less not without law, and their govern
ment Is entirely in the hands of their lep-
rous brethren. The governor is leper and
SO are all the subordinate officials, and the
al rOufina n dnfU hIea tho In.
telligent of them to while away the time,
which might otherwise hang progressively
on their hands, till their true governor and
law-giver, death, comes to their release.
Near the landing there il a small Cath
Ollie church, aud there is one in the
village of Kalawso, as well as a Protest
ant chapel, ministered to by native
| leper pastor. The Catholic church Is in
charge of Father Damiens, a priest, who,
with a promising youthful outlook, intelli-
gens, cultivated, refined, sacrificed all this
| with a commendable Zeal for his Master,
and devotes himself cheerfully to the well
fare of the poor creatures with whom he has
| voluntarily exiIed himself from the society
of his more fortunate fellOw-men. There
are twelve hospital buildings, store, post
| office, school house aud government offices,
besides few neat wooden whitewashed
cottages belonging to
| LEPERs OF RANK,
|
P. Y. Kaeo. Queen Emms's cousin. These
persons are, of course, supplied with every
thing that money can procure for their COM
fort, and their presence may add some meas
ure OF consolation to the poorer and more
wretched portion of the community to know
that the awful disease by which their sys.
TENS Is ravished is no respecter OF
persons. Governor Rsgsdsle was a
native lawyer Of some note in
Hilo, who voluntarily came to the
island of exile. The leper community num-
hers about nine hundred, In all stages of the
disease. Those who are able cultivate the
land. or engage in such other occupations
as they are able to perform. Some OF them
have cosy little bousss, with flowers and
shrubs about their doors, but, OF course,
most of them live in the hospital buildings,
, which are on an elevated piece of land in
closed by fence. The buildings are
wooden and thoroughly whitewsshed, and
? everything is neat and clesnly about them
: The algsroba trees are growing finely
, and nature and art combine tC
make a most beautiful and lovely spoI
: of the place chosen as the home of the mos
hopeless set OF beings on earth. 1t sesms al
most pity to pollute place so lovely by
such miserable human marplots. And yet il
is TO be hoped that such beautiful nsturs
: surroundings are not without good effec
: upon the minds of the miserable creatures
who live in the midst of them. Some of The
fair sex, at least, seem possessed of their low,
2 of display here as elsewhere, and decorate
2 their heads and necks with leis of flowers
and try to appear cheerful and happy in The
!, midst of their desolation. And We d.
not begrudge them one single
> endowment, but wish we could ameliorat
: their condition a thousand fold. Their,
. have been some very interesting cases OF thu
strength of the tender Iassion in connection
with these poor creatures. One beautiful
I wahine, with long. wavy, raven riDglet
. flowing richly and proIusely a1own he
y delicate shoulders, was engaged" to kan,
OF no mean prepossessing appearance. Th'
= two were Gevotedly attached TO each other
= but at length cit was discovered tina
he was leper. He was seized b.
: the officers and hustled down to the wbar
. and embarked for Moloksi. His wahine
followed him to the waters edge, and woult
have plunged In after him, but on reelection
!. she thought better of il. Her face va
= bathed In floods of tears; she was bowe'
= down like bulrush at the thought o. he
. irreparable loss; she pined for her depart q,
Adonis; and would not be comfOrted Ill
she made up her mind to follow him to hi
!. place OF exile. And, fcrsakiDg all the friend
: aud sports of her youth, she
/ BECAME A MARTYR
d to the lot of the man she loved, and nov
ministers to him such sweet consolation q
e only a true-hearted woman can give to
IT man in distress and solitude. But, with a.
y its relieving beauties and incidents, tn
a leper's life is sufficiently miserable an
of wIetched. Some OF them are the most hide
y Gus creatures the human eye ever gaze
10 upon. Their eyes are glazed aud google
n their faces swollen; their features distorted
ST their ears, noses and jaws gone; thei
al hands and feet rottiDg and falling o
by piecemeal; their bodies covere
10 with ulcers and filed with holes, and the
q deformed and decrepid with age and di,
IN ease. And yet these physical horrors ar
" nothing to the mental suffering attendau
le upon the separation of husbands and wive.
Of parents and children, relatives aud friend.
10 and the everlasting consciousness that the