The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-01-25
A CURIOUS COMMUNITY.

S0ndih,'nlUy on the face of this earth is TO
az ne found on the island of Molokai, one of
.ne small islands comprising the Sand
wlcn islands group. The community is
composed OF the lepers found amongst
,he inhabitants of the other islands and
o0osnnpelied 0s by law to reside on Molokai.
Ni the many foreigners who visit Homo
illu there are few who have an oppor-
eulilty to visit the leper settlement. The
government is very strict in granting
PERMISSION, and but few outside promi-
hent Journalists, scientific men and an
occasional tourist of distinction can re-
ce1ve I've the necessary pass.
Ihe passage by steamer from Honolulu
TO the island of Molokai occupied about
Ten hours, the channel being some eighty
mics N wide. The first point reached is
haiaupapa, the landing for the lepers.
At TINS place, when distinguished visit
ors are expected, string band, composed
OF lepers, greet the visitor with plaintive,
mcournful music, well fitting their isola-
tion from the world and the grief, as we
should think, within their hearts. AS we
iook on the faces of the musicians the
music seems weird at times, and as if
coming from the mysterious caverns of
oeath. For we cap hardly imagine that
Intelligence, that the divine harmony of
music, can be attributes of the llnfortu-
mates standing before us and strange TO
relate, apparently Gas happy as the day
is long" The flesh on their faces is
rolled mp in masses of n rrlddy, copper
colored hue, the eyes protrude through
smaller layers, and the hand looking
short and stunted with the disease, seems
as If it could not hold the instrument.
Inc players are young, middle aged and
old, all Ill the medium stages of leprosy;
that is, the affliction is painfully visible,
put there are no running sores nor have
holes been eaten through feet, hands or
body. When these native musicians
have finished playing they rush to greet
Old companions, and many is the hearty
=" aloha " dove to you) which passes be-
tween the lepers and their friends.
Crowds of native lepers are on the beach
extending their hands aud expressing
hearty "oloha to those they greet.
The unfortunates express the greatest
JOY at meeting old friends, and, as is
common with the Hawaiians aud other
Polynesian tribes, will sit down and cry
with excess of pleasure for quarter of an
hour at time. When the flood of tears
has passed they are in an instant trans
formed into the most laughter loving
mortals. They seem to forget their
physical condition and revel in the
most unbounded joy. The contrast from
tears to smiles is very strange physi-
illogical reaction. The foreign tourists
who look on at all this are often subject
to the wit and badinage of the lepers.
and especially Of the young women.
fortunately young and registering
leper girl will approach foreigner and
extend her hand for regular pump
handle shake, but it often happens that
the foreigner, though not lacking in gal
lantry, will fail to respond, through fear
of the lepers touch. Then the girl viii
burst out in saucy laughter, and finish
up with the expression of "Makau oe )"
(you are afraid). All the natives join
III, and exclaim !: "Makau kela haole "
chat foreigner is afraid) "Mai nei
oe, me honihoni kaua (come here. and
let us kiss lovingly. was the taunting
salutation of a charming little lepress,
whose atfiiction had not blotted out the
traces OF beauty in her cheek nor dim
med the luster of her large. soft,
dreamy eyes. The gentleman addressed
courteously declined the proposed nee
tar, when all the lepers present, men and
women, had hearty laugh at his ex-
pense.
The leper governor is a man of I'M
doubted intelligence, lawyer by pro-
tession, and the best orator in the Ha-
waiian kingdom, whites included. Who
ever has visited the Sandwich islands has
heard of "Bill" " Rags(lall. He it is
who is chief executive at Kalawod. He
is half caste, bis mother being native
and his father an American. He speaks
English and native with perfection, ana
and has some knowledge of French.
His knowledge of history is remarkable.
and he is well read in general literature,
He is apparently forty-hve years of age.
of light graceful build, polished in his
manners, and, like all Hawaiians. hos
pitable to a fault. He first discovered
that he was afflicted with leprosy in q
peculiar way. It was on the island of
Hawaii, at his home, while hunting ND
points on law case. BY accident the
chimney OF his lamp fell of, and al
though it was almost red-hot, he sudden
ly picked it up AMI placed it on the
lamp. Looking at his hand to see if il
was burned, as any person would under
the circumstances, he discovered that
there was not trace OF burn, much
less the first painful sensation. It
flashed upon his mind that he was afflict-
ed with leprosy, and at once, with true
heroism of soul, he informed the au-
thorities, and voluntarily consigned him
self to perpetual exile from wife.
family, friends and the world. Owing
to his talents and high position, being
slightly afflicted, he might have escaped.
but he preferred to obey the law.
The valley into which the lepers are
located is nearly two miles and a half
long, and apparently from a half mile to
mile and half wide. On one side is {
mountain range, impossible except at
one point, and there the exit is very diff
ticult, having to be accomplished by the
aid of ropes and clinging to the branches
of trees. On the other side is the forever
agitated ocean. Thus the lepers are Sc
cluded not only from the world but from
the inhabitants occupying the other por
tions of Molokai. There have been q few
escapes of lepers through the passage in
dicated, but it has always been a wonder
how they could manage to escape by so
steep, precipitous and dangerous an
opening. When captured they are re-
turned, but no penalty is inflicted upon
them. There is an abundance of fresh
water on the east side of the valley. a
large water pipe furnishing a supply for
the hospital and for other purposes. The
valley is of volcanic origin. One of the
extinct craters is about half mile in
1;opoatay opl 1Sn foot Joo..