The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-02-13
A VISIT TO MOLOKAI, THE HOME OF THE
LEPERS.-HOW THESE UNFORTU-
MATES LIVES.

A VISIT TO MOLOKAI, THE HOME OF THE
LEPERs.-HOw THESE UNFORTU-
MATES LIVES.
| Molokal is the curse OF the Hawaiian
islands. 1t is their skeleton in the closet.
There dwells the dread disease of lep-
rosy, the oldest known and perhaps
the most fatal Of maladies. There is
no we'll authenticated cure for it. For
some reason Hawaii has become known
as the land Of lepers, yet one might
live in the islands lifetime and never
see leper Or even hear of one.
On the north side of Molokai there
is strip of land which forms sort of
tongue, projecting out into the sea
some ten miles. This tongue of land
is about two miles wide at the south
side, where there is a precipice Of over
two thousand feet extending across the
island, and cutting off all communica-
ton with the main island. There is
but one place at which it is possible
for human being to scale this cliff,
and that is a narrow winding path
known as the "Pali.'
This portion of the island, naturally
isolated from the rest Of the world, was
wisely selected by the Hawaiian govern
ment as proper place for segregating
those unfortunate people, the lepers.
Here they live, some to a good old
age. They have houses, small fields,
gardens, horses, cattle, poultry, and
pigs. Some marry and children are
born to them. If the child born Of
leper parents shows no signs of the dis
ease at certain age, it is taken from
the island and kept in confinement for
a certain number Of years. Then, if
found "clean,' is so declared by the
aboard of health" and permitted to go
about freely everywhere. It is educated
at the expense of the government, and
may never be afflicted by the disease.
Leprosy, moreover, is not very conta-
gious. One of the best authorities on
the subject declares that leprosy can be
contracted only by innoculation, and
that it is not more contagious than
| consumption.
! 1t is not an easy matter to visit the
| leper settlement. One can only go as
a guest of the board of health, and
these officials make but two trips a year.
| was very fortunate in being in Hon
! olulu when the board made one of its
semi-annual visits On the afternoon
Of November 10Th, Mr.. ]. T. Water
house, the president of the board Of
health told me over the wires of the
telephone to be at the dock Of the In
ter -Island Steamship Company at $3.50
sh,rp. l reported on time, and found
the steamer, Ke-an-hon, lying at the
dock with steam up and kissing from
every valve.
Going on board the little craft we
found Bishop Ropert with Father Pam
phlle and the young priests who were
going To work as missionaries among
the iepers. There were many pro l.
lnent visitors in our party, among them
Mrs. H. Lewellyn jenkins, deaconess
of The Methodist Church, and men,
Der of the Washington Square NJ. E.
Church, of New York, Miss Kate Field,
Senator Warehouse, Judge Wilcox,
DR.. Day, and others.
Shortly after nine O'Clock the whistle
sounded, and our craft pushed out from
the dock and steamed down. the bay.
1t was TOO dark to note the tropical
beauties along the shore. Night in the
tropics comes quickly. There is no
afterglow, no twilight. The sun sets
and it is dark. If the sky is clear, the
stars shine wondrously bright, and if
there happens to be moon it is almost
as light as day. No poet ought to sing
of moonlight beauties until he has seen
the moonlight Of the tropics.
When day dawned we were at anchor
off Kalanpapa. The lepers were aware
| Of our intended visit, and, soon ai:er
daylight, the shore was lined with these
unfortunate people straining their eyes
to catch the first glimpse OF their Wis
itors. The band, composed of leper
boys, played several airs Of welcome.
Bishop Ropert, Father Pamphile, and
the other missionaries, went ashore in
! the first boat and were greeted with
cheers. To get ashore we had to climb
down a swinging ladder over the ships
side into boat, both bobbipg about
and in opposite directions, " hich added
the spice of danger to the expedition.
Ga landing we found on the shore
two or three hundred lepers. Some of
them were but slightly affected by the
disease, and some SO disfgured as to
hardly resemble human beings. The
| disease seems to attack the extremities
first. Usually it first appears in the
lobes OF the ears, and they begin tc
hang as if there was heavy weight in
each. Then it appears in the face in
great Jumps, and the cheeks swell. The
fingers lose all feeling and wi,her away
or drop off, until the hand is fingerless
| and the foot toeless. Often the head
| is earless and noseless. The unfortu-
nate often loses his eyesight, the balls
entirely disappearing. 1t may take
years for the disease to accomplish its
deadly work, but there is no hope for
the victim when once it seizes him.
And yet it is not uncommon to see
a leper on horseback galloping o,er
the settlement, SO manned that one
cannot understand how he holds the
reins Their ears often become so elon-
gated that they interfere with their
| riding. A doctor who was for three
years in the settlement, said
81 have often had them come to me