The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-11-06

windbreaks. 1t is q sad comment upon
the past. and points a moral which intelli
gent readers will not fail to draw for them
selves
The crater of KahukOo has subter-
ranean vent connected in some way with
the sea, because the water which is always
in its bottom is slightly brackish and is
evidently Influenced by the action of the
tides. THE settlement at Kalaupapa OBJ
tains water from wells, while that at Kala-
wac has water brought from gulch in
pipes. Close by this source of water sup
ply is excellent taro land, but it is. unused
as the lepers could not cultivate taro, and
it would not be expedient to permit Chi
nese or others to do so under existing CON
ditions.
SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE LEPERs.
The Leper Colony at Kalawao, using
this name for thee entire district, is in many
respects unique Cut off by nature from
the outside world, the condition of the
lepers has been made as favorable as cir
cumstances possibly admit. They are
well housed, comfortably clothed, and pro-
vided with abundance of wholesome food,
medicines and medical attendance. Al
| though isolated they are recognized by
| the Government and society at large i'll the
| Hawaiian Kingdom as wards of the Ma
! ton, whose misfortune entities them to
| greater consideration and kindness than is
/ accorded to less afflicted persons By the
nature of their malady they become out
| casts from society but to the infinite
credit of the Hawaiian Kingdom be it said,
| they are not neglected on that account in
! the slightest particular. By tacit consent
| it is assumed that the lepers on the MOlo-
kai reservation and at the KakaakO Branch
] Hospital have lost their civil rights, but
the statutes nowhere declare it, and it is
doubtful whether any Court in the King
dom would sustain this " unwritten law. "
Nevertheless, the point is not at all likely
| to arise, as the lepers do not apparently
concern themselves with public affairs,
being wholly engrossed with their own
bodily ailment and requirements.
As has been already stated, there are
about forty individual holdings on Kala-
wac outside the Government reservation.
These will in time be bought by the Gov
eminent, thereby extinguishing all indie
pendent title. The lepers are free tenants
on the Government land. They have no
rent or taxes to pay, and may enclose and
cultivate a patch of land at pleasure.
Many of them do so, and little colonies
of them are formed who squat among the
sheltered rocky land some distance from
the villages, and plant and cultivate sweet
potatoes for their own use. A surplus
might very easily be raised, but prejudice
among people on the outside would deny
IL. I
on limited scale.
The Government provides the lepers a
liberal ration, consisting of .twenty-one
pounds of poi, or of rice and poi, with
seven pounds of beef, and occasionally
mutton. Although the whOlesOmer meat
of the two, the lepers as a rule prefer beef
| to mutton. Salmon is also served out as
an occasional ration in lieu of beef or NUT
ton, and during the visit of His Exeellency
| Mr. Gibson to the Settlement, several of the
old people requested continuous salmon
ration because their teeth could not masti-
cate beef. One old man who has been q
continuous resident for nineteen years but
who is q Kukoa and not a leper, came
specially to the President of the Board OF
Health to press this request upon him
|
soap, milk (of which between sixty and
seventy gallons per day are distributed)
There is also supply of clothing equiva
lent to couple of blankets and two suits
given to each individual. This ration
is drawn by young and old alike
Those who have the means or whose
friends take an interest in them
erect comfortable frame houses for them
selves, and upon their death the house i:
sold for account of their heirs to some Othel
resident, or is, bought by the Board O
Health and used for housing those who arr
without money or friends. The Govern
ment sees that all are provided with com
: Portable homes. Those living outside the
Hospital do their own cooking and wash
ing; the fifty inmates of the Hospital art
attended to by paid help.
Taking rough estimate there are be
tween 300 and 400 frame buildings in tht
Settlement, which is divided into two com
munities, the more numerous and more
active living at or near the steamer landing
at Kalaupapa. There is a live publ,
opinion" at Kalaupapa, which does no
exist in such marked degree at KalawaO
where the people are more subdued IL
manner and tone. Frequent intercourse
from without may account for this in par
at the former place, but it is also largely
: owing to the presence there of rather
numerous class of people who are no
lepers. There may be i'll the Settlement
: about $50 of this class, some of whom ar,
! there to attend upon their friends, some
own land, others are merely visitors, anC
others again are employed by the Board o
Health. OF the former, or Kukoas, there
are ten on the leper roll from charity, thu.
enabling them TO draw rations. There i:
a Catholic and Il Calvinistic Churcl
building at Kalaupapa, and similarly also
} a Calvinistic and Catholic Church a
) Kalawao. The Rev. Father Damien min
! listers in the Catholic Churches, while
! native preacher conducts divine service il
: the Protestant Churches The Catholic
mission is, however. by far the more active
There is also Mormon Church organiza
ton at the Settlement but it has no specia
: building Thus 1.-The cure of souls" is no
neglected, although the cure of bodies /.
impossible.
The working staff OF the Leper Settle
ment is well organized and inexpensive
The Hospital management, under DIR
Arthur Mouritz, is simply perfect as i