The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-02-12
HAWAII, THE PEARL OF
THE PACIFIC"
The Fifth of a Series OF Letters by John
X. Muslck.
AUTHOR OF ''THE COLUMBIAN HISTORICAL
NOVELS, ':.BRoTHRR AGAINST BROTHER,
ETC., RTo.
Copyright, 1896 by FUNK wAeNALLs COMPANY,
New York;
A Visit to MOIOkai, the Home of
the Lepers.-HOyv these
UnfOrtunates Live.

Molokai is the curse of the Hawaiian
islands, 1t is their skeleton in the closet.
There dwells the dread disease of leprosy,
the oldest known and perhaps the most
fatal of maladies. There is no well au-
thenticated cure for 1t. For some reason
Hawaii has become known as the land of
lepers, yet one might live in the islands
a lifetime and never see leper or even
hear Of one.
On the north side of Molokai there is a
strip of land which forms a sort of a
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 precipice of over two thousand
feet extending across the island, and cut
ting off all communication with the main
island. There is but one place at which
it is possible for human being to scale
this cliff, and that is 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 a proper place for segregating
those unfortunate people, the lepers.
Here they live, some TO good old age.
They have houses, small fields, gardens,
horses, cattle, poultry, and pigs. Some
marry and children are born to them. II
the child born of leper parents shows no
signs of the disease at certain age, 1t is
taken from the island and kept in confine-
ment for a certain number of years.
Then, il found ''clean," is SO declared by
the aboard of health,n and permitted to
go about freely everywhere. 1t is edu-
Gated 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 con-
tracted only by innocuiation, and that II
is not more contagious than consumption.
II 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 10 being in Honolulu
when the board made one of its semi
annual visits. On the afternoon of No.
vember Goth, Mr.. j. T. Warehouse, the
president of the board oflhealth, told me
over the wires Of the telephone 10 be at
the dock of the Inter-Island Steamship
Company at $50 sharp. 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
phile and the young priests who were
going to work as missionaries among the
lepers. There were many prominent
visitors in our party, among them Mrs.
H. Lewellyn jenkins, deaconness of the
Methodist Church, and a member OF the
Washington Square M. 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. Ii
was too dark for us to note the tropical
beauties along the shore. Night in the
tropics comes quickly. There is no after.
glow, no twilight. The sun sets and il is
dark. If the sky is clear, the stars shine
wondrously bright, and IL there happens
to be a 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.
Shortly after passing Diamond Head
the ship began to roll, and some mem
bers of our party complained OF headache
and began TO 'turn-in" as rapidly as
they could.
"We are crowded for room," the pres
ident of the board of health said. "You
will have 10 sleep on the deck"
There were less than dozen cabins on
the little vessel, and these were given 10
the ladies and 'elderly gentlemen"
while the remainder of US cheerfully con-
sented to sleep on the deck with nothing
but the starry heavens and some OF the
ships rigging above US. Tho it was
in the last part OF November, Il e night
was quite warm.
Not feeling desire to turn in at once,
| went forward of the captains cabin,
and, taking a seat on the deck, gazed on
the brilliantly lighted heavens, while my
thoughts wandered TO home and the
loved ones far away. Wearied OF sit.
ting, gazing and thinking, at last went
aft, where the deck was covered with
co.'s, and men lay snoring everywhere.
"Are all the beds taken 2" asked the
steward, citiz.n of the Orient.
"Me gettee bed and blanket" he
answered.
He darted below, and in q few moments
returned with a mattress, blanket and
pillow. There was spare place AFT
the manmast and just forward OF the
hatchway. 1t was very spare, for while
my head was jammed up against the
mast, my feet extended over the hatch
way. Notwithstanding my cramped pc.
sition, how ever, fell asleep, and, had
all gone we'll, would have slept unit
dawn Of day. But, about half past three
in the morning I became conscious Of
water falling on my face, and while ball
sleeping and half waking ] was trying &c
deter mine what 1t was, the officer OF The
watch cried out:
"You'd better go below out of Tho
rain"
l sprang to my feet and found the rair
1
pouring down upon the deck almost il
torrents. To snatch my collar, necktie
and cuffs, which lay on the deck at my
side, and rush down the compauionwa,
in almost total darkness, was but tbt
work of a moment. In the general hurry
and confusion l could not find my hat
A sailor brought IL TO me, half an hou
later thoroughly soaked.
All sleep for the remainder OF the nigh
was at an end.
"Come here and SIT down." said Sen
ator Warehouse, who had also beer
driven below by the rain. ''Don't rut
your eyes until they are red. You will
have to get used to this"
/ found myself In company OF jolly
fellows who had already abandoned al
thought Of sleep.
81 have been fishing many times,
said Judge Wilcox, "when we had to sil
up all night In the rain."
The very mention Of a fishing expedi
| ton will rouse the Hawaiian. native o.