504 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
The leper settlements.—Near the center of the northern coast of 
Molokai is a tongue of land about a mile broad and 10 miles long, pro- 
jecting into the ocean. In 1865 this spit of land was purchased by the 
then Hawaiian Kingdom and set apart as a reservation for lepers. — It 
is especially well located for this purpose, there being behind the point 
of land an almost impassable cliff 2,000 to 4,000 feet high. There are 
6,348 acres in the tract, most of it fertile soil. On this reservation 
are two settlements, Kalaupapa and Kalawa, and all known lepers 
are compelled to reside at one or the other of them, or else leave the 
islands altogether. The territorial government provides quarters, 
clothing, and provisions for all its afflicted wards, and takes the greatest 
precautions to see that they are completely isolated from the rest of 
the islands and from the remainder of Molokai itself. The territorial 
board of health has full control of the two settlements and a nonleper 
‘an visit them only by its permission, which is exceedingly difficult 
to obtain. As the only vessel allowed to land at the settlements is 
the steamer chartered by the board, which makes a weekly trip 
thither from Honolulu, it is a very easy matter to control ingress to 
and egress from the settlements. A heayy penalty is provided for 
other vessels and boats touching or having communication with the 
settlements. 
Some of the lepers were fishermen before being seized with the 
dread disease, and they have been allowed to continue the same occu- 
pation at the settlements. During 1903, 31 natives engaged in fishing 
and used 4 haul seines, 12 cast nets, 1 bag net, 1 corral net, and 9 
spears. Should the fishermen secure more fish than they can dispose 
of themselves, the board will purchase the surplus at a uniform price 
of 5 cents per pound, and issue the same to the lepers in the settle- 
ments in lieu of their regular meat ration. During the year 1903 the 
board so purchased from the fishermen 15,028 pounds of fish. Some 
of the lepers have private means, while others, by working for the 
board, receive regular wages. These are ina position to purchase 
supplies for themselves in addition to those furnished by the board, 
and frequently the fishermen dispose of the choicer varieties in the 
vatch at a higher price than the board pays. Being on the windward 
side of the island and exposed to the heavy surf caused by the trade 
winds, fishing is a rather difficult and oftentimes dangerous industry 
for a considerable part of the year, hence the number of days on which 
fishing is prosecuted is but few as compared with the southern, or lee- 
ward, side of the island. The season of 1903 was an especially poor 
one for the fishermen. In 1902 they sold to the board 25,191 pounds 
of fish, and in 1901, 20,085 pounds. 
Absolutely none of the fish caught by the lepers is permitted to leave 
the reservation. Even if the fishermen were allowed to carry them 
