The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-18
LEpERs OF TRAcAbit.
How They Used to Be Treated and
How They Are Treated Now.

CARAoUET, N. B., July 6.-Twenty-
five miles south OF here lies the village
of Tracadie-St. Joseph de Tracadie is
its full name-with its lazaretto for
lepers. The Tracadie river pictur-
esque stream, brimful in spring and
fall, but shallow enough in summer,
runs into tbs sea rear by, and is the
only pleasant feature Of desolate land
scape. Tne village Consists of num-.
Der of 6shermen's huts with a store or
two. The soil is cold and barren,
about the only crop that comes to per-
lection being black oats. The eople,
Acadians with a mixture of Scotch,
Irish and Micmac, fish little and
farm little. They are Roman Cath
olics and possess a small church, built
years ago by Father Gauvreau, known
in these parts as the chaplain of the
lepers long before Father Damien be.
came celebrated in Hawaii The laza-
retto is an ugly, barn shaped, wooden
building of two stories. Upstairs are
the dormtories, down stairs the rooms
where the inmates eat and while away
the day. At present there are fifteen
of them in the various stages of disease.
INLa anne - cborua liya il email
wooden wing attached to the leper
house. A chapel, or rather an altar, is
SO arranged that the bedridden patients
can participate in the service. The
buildings are clean enough, but are old
and unsuitable Whitewash and
chloride of lime are freely used, yet the
atmosphere is foul, especially in winter,
when the dormer windows are nailed up
and the stoves are blazing with fire.
Dr. A. c. Smith is the surgeon The
institution is maintained by the Do
minion Government and forms part Of
the quarantine service. The green
sward round about is well kept and
runs down to the beach, where the
lepers fish and battle. Here segrega-
ton is complete. The natives shun
the place, and the Caraquet Railroad
brings few visitors from the world out
side.
The whole coast, from Gaspe down
to Pointe du Chene, where you can
cross to Prince Edward Island, is
squalid to the last degree. The people
are poverty stricken and exceedingly
superstitious. Champlain in his day
gave the region the name of being I'M
canny, The sea in the Bale DIES
Chaleurs was haunted by the Gougou,
hideous female monster, which Kissed
at the approach of man, and was in
the habit of seizing Indians and thrust
ing them into a sack or pocket in its
anatomy, where they remained helpless
until it was ready to devour them.
This sack was SO large that it would
have contained Champlain's vessel.
Seur Prevent of St. Malo, while pros
pecting, ran across the monster in its
lair, and the Indians who were with
him hid themselves. Champlain's
story, which is gravely told in his
Voyages" was probably based on the
circumstance that the sea COW or morsle
frequented these waters. The brazil
lard de Ia Magdeleine, weird cry
that comes from the sea at the mouth
of the river Magdeleine, is still believed
in by old fishermen. 1t is the voice,
they say, of one of the Gaspe wreckers
who used to lure ships to destruction
asking for prayers for his tormented
soul. In reality, it is sobbing noise
caused in stormy weather by the rolling
of the breakers into the hollows of the
rocks. Then there are supernatural
lights in the sea and on the land and
apparitions in the sky, betokening
shipwrecks, and voices calling out the
names of those who are to die before
the St. Martin. But nothing in the
numerous legends and myths of the
people is SO dreadful as the sober
history of the leproSy.
Experts are referred to DIR. Taches
report to the British Government in
1867, or to the writings of DIR. Benson,
DR.. Belefeuille and Lieutenant Gov
ernor Gordon, which would doubtless
be furnished to any medical man by
the Government of New Brunswick.
A letter addressed to Attorney-General
B air at Fredericton would certainly
receive attention. Mr.. Blair is the
provincial Premier, and takes deep
interest in the subject The origin Of
the disease is surrounded with mystery
The natives have tradition that a
vessel from the Levant was driven
ashore at Tracadie, and that the sailors
who wintered there or the clothing
washed upon the beach communicated
it to family, now extinct, of the name
of Graveceur. Another story is thai
it was brought by shipwrecked Nor
wegian vessel; third that it first APP
peared in Scotch family at Maramichi
the head of which had made voyage
in vessel from Marseilles to Cyprus
Other accounts equally probable OF
unavoidable abound, but ii is now gen