2C)6 



HA WAIL 



watch the repulsive steps by which each of their doomed fellows 

 goes down to a loathsome death, knowing that by the same 

 they too must pass. 



A small stone church near the landing, and another at 

 Kalawao, tell of the extraordinary devotion of a Catholic priest, 

 who, with every prospect of advancement in his Church, and 

 with youth, culture, and refinement to hold him back from the 

 sacrifice, is in this hideous valley, a self-exiled man, for Christ's 

 sake. It was singular to hear the burst of spontaneous admira- 

 tion which his act elicited. No unworthy motives were 

 suggested, all envious speech was hushed ; it was almost for- 

 gotten by the most rigid Protestants that Father Damiens, who 

 has literally followed the example of Christ by " laying down 

 his life for the brethren," is a Romish priest, and an intuition, 

 higher than all reasoning, hastened to number him with " tie 

 noble army of martyrs." 



In Kalawao are placed not only the greater number of the 

 lepers, but the hospital buildings. Most of the victims are of 

 the poorer classes and live in brown huts 5 but two of rank, 

 Mrs. Napela and the Hon. P. Y. Kaeo, Queen Emma's cousin, 

 have neat wooden cottages on the way from the landing, with 

 every comfort which their means can provide for them. The 

 hospital buildings are about twelve in number, well and airily 

 situated on a height; they are built of wood thoroughly white- 

 washed, and are enclosed by a fence. Although it is hoped 

 that a leper hospital is not to be a permanent institution of the 

 kingdom, the soft green grass of the enclosure has been 

 liberally planted with algaroba trees, which in a year or two 

 will form a goodly shade, and water has been brought in from 

 a distance at considerable expense, so that an abundant supply 

 is always at hand. The lepers are dying fast, and the number 

 of advanced cases in the hospital averages forty. In the 

 centre of the hospital square there are the office buildings, 

 including the dispensary, which is well supplied with medicines, 

 so that in the absence of a doctor, common ailments may be 

 treated by an intelligent English leper. The superintendent's 

 office, where the accounts and statistics of the settlement are 

 kept, and where the leper governor holds his leper court, and 

 the post-office, are also within the enclosure ; but the true 

 governor and law-giver is Death. 



When Mr. Ragsdale left Hilo as a leper, the course he was 

 likely to take on Molokai could not be accurately forecasted ; 

 and it was felt that the presence in the leper community of a 



