River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-01-20

btdultuWS NCtnt ABOUT lAN, SAW u SAL
slowly crawling out Of port. Turning to
my frierd said, "What vessel is that,
and where is she gong p 1t was a
small schooner towards which pointed.
Her sails we're gaily spread and she moved
quietly along before the gentle gale as il
no aching hearts were on board and no
fearful cycs were blind with grief; as il
no sweet domestic relations were sander.
cd, no hopes crushed, aud no souls bowed
with burdenS which death alone could re.
move. That little schooner, 7 said my
friend, 'iS on her weekly trip to Molohai
LADEN WIN IEPERs.
She had nine on board 60 day. !
gazed after the departing vessel with
saddemed feelings, when | Thought Of the
endless exile into which those poor
creatures were going llenceiorth their
home was to be worse then prison, or
than any ordinary punishment. It was
TO be a living grave in the very valley
and shadow Of death. In reply TO my
inquiries / found that the leper-intected
natives are more numerous than is gen.
orally supposed, or than can possibly be
ascertalned. They adopt every means Of
concealment. from bribery on down to
voluntary home-imprisonment hiding be-
meath the mats in their huts, among the
taro in their patches, or in the caves and
covers. and forests and fields, wherever
refuge from the law.oilicers may be OBJ
tanned. Near Waiohinu. on Hawaii, a
native missionary, who is leper, has
managed by means Of bribery to stay at
home for several years and whether he
will ever 60 to Molekai is questionable
While | was IN Honolulu, one day oAe of
the lepers got away and the officers had
a long chase before they again got posses.
sion of his person. And one day they
got after one on horseback, but il is hard
even TO lasso a native in the saddle, and
finally he escaped on his tlect.loOtcd ani-
nal. While necessary for the welfare Of
the community, il nevertheless seems
hard to chase the poor victims down
who are only contending for their liberty
at the same time they are worse afflicted
than others. | found that the disease
was considered syphilitic, contagious, and
incurablc; and ten years ago the govern
ment first determined TO separate the
lepers from the rest of the community
The island Of Molokai or M0i0kdi anna
pail (the land of precipiccs). between
Oahu and Maui, was chosen as the lepcrs'
home. The island is not large; but its
volcanic walls rise ont Of the sea to a yer.
teal height of from 1000 to $500 feet
These rocky and lichen-cOyered walls aud
pinacles Of
THE ISLAND OF EXILE
are gashed with gulches, forming natural
inlets, and openingon lawns of flimited
extent, yet attractive beauty. The land
ing is kalaupapa, on the windward side
OF the island, and miSeable place it is,
too. Three miles from the landing is the
leper village Of kaluwao, on the yer e Of
most singular twenty thousand.acre
plain, beautiful as the Garden of Eden.
This plain is envroned by the sea ON one
side, and by "A precipice on the other
1000 feet high, which may be assembled
by zig.zag bridle-path flung over the
face OF it, but which IS SO steep that cat.
tie cannot come down it, and all the meat
supplies have TO come by water to the
landing. Within this charming area
lives the isolated leprouS community.
They have all the forms ola weil.regulat-
ed state government, and though almost
law unto themselves by reason Of their
isolation from the central government,
they are nevertheless not without law,
and are entirely in the hands OF
their eprou brethren The govern
or rs leper, and SO are all the subordi.
nate officials, and the usual routine OF
duty enables the more intelligent Of them
to while away the time which might
otherwise hang oppressively on their
hands I'LL their true governor and law.
glyer death, comes to their release.
Near the landing is small Catholic
church, and there IS one in the village OF
kolaWao, as well as a Protestant chapel,
ministered to by a native leper pastor.
The Catholic church Is in charge Of Father
Damiens, priest, who with a promising
youthful outlook, intelligent, cultivated,
refined, sacrificed all this with com.
mendaDle zeal Cor his Master, and devoteS
himself checrlully To the welfare of
the poor creatures with whom
he has voluntarily exi'ed himself from
the society Of his more fortunate fellow
men There are II hospital buildings, q
store. postoiiice, school.housc. and gov.
eminent offices. besides fcw neat wood
cottages belongin gto few
LEPERs OF RANK,
among whom are Mrs. Napela and the
Hon =. " kaeo, Queen Emma's cousin
These persons are Of course supplied with
everything that money can procure ior
their comfort And their presence may
add some measure Of consolation 10 the
poorer aud more wretchcd portion II the
community to know that the awful disease
with winch their system is rayished IS no
resprcter Of persons. Gov RagsdaIe was
a native lawyer Of ONE note ln llllo, who
came 20 the island 81 exile.
The lcpcr community numbers about 800.
ia all stages Of the disease. Those who
are able cultivate the soil, or engage ia
such other occupations as they are able
To perform. Some Of hem have coy
little houses, wth flowers and shrubs
about their doors Bat Of course most Of
them live ia the hospital buildings, which
are on az cllyatcd piece Of ground cnclos-
ed by fence. The buildings are wood.
en- and thoroughly whitewashcd, and
every thing is neat and clearly abOut
them. The agaro5a trees are growing