The record-union., 1896-02-11
HAWAII, THE PEARL OF THE
PACIFIC
The Fifth Of q Series Of Letters by John
R. MuSiCk.
A Visit to Molokai, the Home of the
Lepers-How These Unfor-
tunates Live.
Copvright. 1896, by Funk & WagnalIs Com
pany New York;

LOOVT1EnL. 1880, Dy uuh c w <AS AAAAS CSAAA-
pany, New York;
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 per-
haps the most fatal of naladies. There
no well authenticated cure for it. For
some reason Hawaii has become known
as the land Of the lepers, yet one might
live in the islands lifetime and never
see a 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 a precipice of over 1000 feet
extending across the island, and cutting
off all communication with the main
island. There is but one place at which
it is possible for a human being to scale
this cliff, and that is a narrow winding
path known as the "Pah"
This portion of the island, naturally
isolated from the rest of the world, was
wisely selected by the Hawaiian Gov
ernment as proper place for segre-
eating 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 of them 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 GER
tain number of years. Then, if found
clean is so declared by the board of
health" and permitted to go about
freely everywhere. 1t 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 inoculation, and that
1t is not more contagious than con-
sumption.
It 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 year. l
was very fortunate in being in Homo
lulu when the board made one of its
senai-annual visits. On the afternoon
of November 29th ]. 7. Waterhouse,
the President of the Board of Health,
told me over the wires of the telephone
to be at the dock of the Interisland
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 We're
going to work as missionaries among
the lepers. There were many prominent
visitors in our party, among them Mrs.
Fl. Lewellyn Jenkins, deaconesS of the
Methodist Church, and a member of the
Washington Square NJ. e. Church of
New York, Miss Kate Field, Senator
Waterhouse, Judge Wilcox, DR.. Day
and others.
Shortly after 9 o'clock the whistle
sounded, and our craft pushed off from
the dock and steamed down the bay. 1t
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 it is
dark. If the sky is clear, the stars shine
wondrously bright, and if 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 head
ache and began to "turn-in" as rapidly
as they could.
I'VE are crowded for room,'' the Pres
ident of the Board of Health said. You
will have to sleep on the deck
There were less than dozen cabins
on the little vessel, and these We're given
to the ladies and elderly gentlemen, .