The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-03-31


him In it. Being sure-fOoted upon tht
loose stones. two natives carried ths
stretcher along the path to the plat.
form overlooking the landing place
Other houses were visited. In one was
young man, In the initial stages OF
fever. In the house had died the first
young man to become afflicted. This
boy was willing to go to Honolulu. In
another house was an old woman, but
she was convalescent Others had allied
but were better, while many had left
for other villages. Medicines and
stores were left behind in the care OF
Miss Naopala, the school-teacher, to
dispense to the sick and needy when
necessary.
A NARROWED GROUP.
In the meantime 1t had rained. The
path over the mountain had become a
sticky, muddy trail. 1t rained again
and wet the party through. Meanwhile
the steamer had gone around to Ka-
laupapa to unload freight. She was
expected back about 6 o'clock. The
members of the expedition, the sick
and a number of strong natives were
grouped upon the rocky shelf. The sea
became rougher and the waves churn-
ed and boiled and roared angrily up
on the lava at the waters edge. 1t
rained and rained and the party be-
came wetter and wetter. The doctor
! was bothered about the sick boy and
how he was to be lowered to the land
! ing place. In the darkness the natives
| prepared a plank platform which they
slung to the derrick. One by one in
/ the gathering darkness the members of
the expedition toiled down the face of
the cliff. the women experiencing con-
siderable difficulty. Conversation died
out after a time as the steamer did
not appear and the rain continued to
fall steadily. 1t was silent, damp.
marooned group. Now and then a
huge billow broke over the party. Some
] believed that the Likelke might not
be able to get back that night, no one
knew Just why, which gave food for
/ speculation as to where all would be
able to spend the night.
Finally the steamer poked her nose
around the point and came to anchor.
1t was total darkness save for a Ian
tern on the cliff. Then the whaleboat
came bobbing along and sheered off
from the rocks. Then the derrick was
manned and n request for three man"
to mount it with the lantern bearer
was made;
HOISTED BY DERRICK.
Three of you men go ahead" said
DIR. Yost, and three soldiers promptly
obeyed the command. Its funny how
soldiers will be pioneers in anything"
remarked DIR. Yost. They'll be first
in anything you tell them, no matter
what the danger may be-"
With four men crouching upon the
frail platform the derrick-men raised
it and swung ii out and then 1t stuck.
1t wouldn't move either way. They
We're practically between the devil
and the deep blue sea-" The platform
spun round and round, dizzily but it
was motionless quartet which waited
! patiently upon the uncertain swing.
Sometimes the boat was raised on a
huge billow, several feet, and almost
struck the platform. Finally the ma
chinery was adjusted, the platform
swung out, then was lowered deftly
into the boat and the soldiers scram-
bled Off Three by three the entire par
ty was lowered and taken to the steam
er. where more difficulty was expert
enced in getting aboard. The sick boy
on the stretcher was lowered without
accident into a boat, brought aboard.
and the Likelike then started for Ho-
nolulu, late at night, arriving in port
yesterday morning at o'clock.
II THE CAUSE.
What was the cause of the epidemic,
If epidemic it may be called? The
reasons given by T. r. Mossman in
the Advertiser on Tuesday morning,
that the water courses supplying the
taro patches, becoming polluted after
long spell of dryness, causing the
shrimps and oopu to die, ETC., are very
much the truth in this instance. The
whole of the valley is supplied by
water from the waterfalls. These
water courses supply all the taro
patches and water for domestic pur-
poses. The water used at one of the
first house on the slopes where a boy
died several weeks ago, may have been
contaminated by passing house just
above. The water runs along by many
taro patches. This water goes on to
the next house, passing more taro
patches, all of which are covered with
green scum, and SO on through the
entire village.
: Sanitary science is a thing practical
ly unknown among these poor people.
When one of the nurses advised the
natives to boil all drinking water in
, future, they scoffed at the idea. They
| had never before boiled the water and
what was the use of beginning now
, they said. The water came direct from
. the mountains and should be pure, SO
they argued. Then why the necessity
for taking so much trouble with it.
But contaminated water was undoubt-
eddy the cause of the epidemic.
. WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?
Molokai is without a physician ex-
cept DR.. Mouritz. For a physician to
give up his time and wander among
the mountains giving medical aid to
the poor villagers, is a task which on
ly a philanthropist would feel like I'M
dertaking. The expense of the relief
expedition will be considerable. several
hundred dollars, in fact. at the least.
The same amount would have kept a
physician under government orders for
several months on Molokai, who could
! do the bidding of the peOple whenever