The National tribune., 1890-03-20
ISLAND STEAMER

ISLAND STEAMER
which plies once a month around to the differ
ent ports and collects those persons in whose
systems tho disease has developed and who arc
confined in station-houses until the arrival of
tho steamer
Tho lcpers are. of course, distinct and
separated class from the inhabitants. Lcp-
rosy has ever been looked upon rs the most
loathsomo aud horrible disease that could be
incurred by human beings, and in ancient times
its victims were avoided rs unclean," and 0s.
traciscd for fear of the supposed contagious
effects. Even Kings who became thus afflicted
were obliged TO abdcate and retire TO solitude,
and the strngency of the Mosaic law (for this
disease appears TO have been most prevalent
among the Egyptians and the Jews. by whom
it was carried into Palestine) shows how
dreadful must have been its Tavages and how
great the terror it excited. Being regarded
rs n Divine visitation, and incurabe by human
SKILL its nature was not then understood, and
ii was confoundcd with various scaly affections
Of the skin, the results of bad diet and want Of
cleanliness. Nothing was done for the nmelio-
ration of these lepcrs by the rulers Of the old
nations until the Middle Ages. when, with
the spread of civilization and Christianity, the
disease assumed great an extent that some
provision was made for it thousands Of hos
pitals and asylums were established all over
Europe, aud tho Order of ST. Lazarus was
formed by the Crusaders to take charge Of tho
lepers and their asylums in the Holy Land.
Tho further progress of civilization and the inn
provement of the lower classes caused lcprosy
TO decline, and to-day it exists only in the
East. the Indian Archipelago, 10 gOme extent
in Norway, ! believe. and In these islands
Here, us elsewhere, the lepers are excluded
from communication with their fellows and are
only to be found in MoOkai. ScrOfulous dis
eases were brought 10 the Sandwich Islands by
Capt. Cook sailors. Soon these took firm hold
on the people. spread with great rapidity, and
eventually leprosy developed and is
EATING AWAY THE vITALs
Of the race. The Government at length took
action aud the lepnr colony was established.
and an ANIMAL appropriation is made for its
support. ] think that at this time there are
somo 1900 lepcrs on Molokai, and the number
increases rapidly. II Is not many years since
these lopoTs were TO be seen on the streets Of
Honolulu, some In advanced stages Of the dis.
case, begging aims of the passers.bv.
On arriving at the port OF tho colony we
went ashore and looked about us. In the
Iialawa Valley, near the sea, the lepcrs are col.
lected in a sort of reservation, In which arc
barracks hospitals aud grass thatched cottages.
with rush-covercd yorandas. These dwellings
arc bnilt in rows, and the settlement is divided
Into blocks aud streets like Western fort. Back
ofand nearly surrounding the barracks the cliffs
rise 10 n hight Of 1000 feet. Tho head of the
gorge Us barTicadea with perpendicular walls,
and from somewhere in the depths issues a
stream with foaming cataracts, coursing noisiiy
down the valley 30 the soa, whose roar Is heard
night and day. Here in this village on tho
plain Of kaaupapa tho lepers are banshed.
Hero day after day the current of their lives
flows on. often interrupted by DEATH without
hope, without ambitiOn-walting Aud yet
even here the lighthenrtedness OF these people
shows Itself
Many OF the natives we're to be observed loll-
ing about in the shade, or at work ia their
taro- patches or their gardens They seemed
in good spirits; little children played in tho
yards and sounds of music were occasionally
heard indoors. Nature at least has been good
20 these poor creatures. The skies arc blue
the air balmy, the days bright aud the nights
brilliant with the tropical moon, and the food
is fresh aud wholesome.
We passed school-house n our walk. In
this island, too, marriages take place. and chill
hrcn are brought up aud educated: but, alas
all with the dire disease stamped upon their
faces, aii doomed to life Punishment from their
kind. At the suggestion Of Mr.. Archer wc en-
tered one Of tho larger structures, aud found
ourselves in what appeared 10 be "A reading
room, In which several persons wcrc seated. and
which seemed 20 bc well supplied with literary
matter from the Hawaiian Capital.
Leaving this we made our way toward the
pestbouscB We did not much fear being inoe.
ulated, 50 long as we did not come in contact
with the virns Of lcprosy, through king
hands with victim or handling things in usa
among them but to this day ] shudder at what
i saw, Entering oBe Of these ab0dcB Of misery
we were met OH the threshold by one OF the
attendants, himself Of couTse a leper but not