Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 258, 13 August 1891 — DEATH'S DOMAINS. [ARTICLE]

DEATH'S DOMAINS.

(CoNTINXJKD.)

There they sat down and and rnoaned al| day long. A rope had been stretched from the landing and along a building to keep the lepers back. but the barrier was n'ot mainta:ned. The lepers crowded over and under in their impatience jt« greet their friends and one soon I found himself surrounded by them and unable to raove except by elbowing his way through the crowd ofdiseased bodies v A leper band played a doieful funeral march as the royal party eame off in the last boat. At the landing was an arch of ferus and flowers bearing the inscription. Aloha ika Moiwahim. Blore ap« propriate would have heen the words that Dante found at the* entrance of Infernio — "Who enter here leave hope bebind." The Qaeen entered a carriage, and followed by her party proceed ed to the house of the Superintendent of the Settlement. After a few minutes tiie Queen took aseat ©n the veranda, and the gates were opened to admit the lepers that bad foljowed the party to the house. They crowded arouhd the veranda presenting a spectacle of loathsome horror, material for a thousand nightmares. Her Majesty said, uAloha oukou;" and she sat down, and was answered by a hoarse cry of "Aloha no»" The Premier Sam , l Parker read the Queen's address to the people. It spoke of the affliction and sorrows of the people, and said there was yet hope of a remedy being found. It en aceount of thrik desire ever present in her heart that she had visited them. •

Oth& > speeches were rhade bv W. Teli, Lilikalani, Hookano, Kekipi, Kalana. Kawahi; one of the lepers—, Kahaiehili, made a reply on the part of his fellow p sufferers.

Tbe Rev. J. H. Kalaiia of Hiio wounel up his address by saying "You ought to rejoice, however t m as mueh as God has provided a good and heaithful plaee for you here in Kalaupana and Kalawap." It is true that this excellent and U healthful," rotting-place is about all the Hawaiians have to thank God for. The tour of inspection began. The procssion was lead by a staudard bearer carrying the Hawaiian coiors. The Queen, Prince Kalanianaole and His Excellancy Samuel Parker followed in a carriage and the others on horseback. The first halt was made at the Bishop Home where Mother Supericr Mename has charge assisted by severaf sis ters. The party sat upon the veranda of the sister-s honie and looked upon thesaddest, most sickening sight of all. Out of the schooi room marched double eoluuan of forty-two objects, homhle ,to took upon and beāring but a remote resemblanje to auything human. Immenee bloated faces e>vered with angry red tuinors, bleared leadlees eyes, eiumpe of rotten limho. Tru!y a unendurablo thing to look upoo.; These creatures 6hould have been v wouHl in the course of nature have becn, girls— yes, young girls! sweet pretty. happy and altogether loveable maidens. Think of ehi!dren six or seven years old, voung girls tweh eto twenty, growing into the world with this fi&arfUl biight upon 1 them! Think of sweet a&4 pur« young souls dtveloping ioaprifiooed iu such ioui carvaBoāl

To $>hile, nev aiid dcath around. »ndonfydea?.h before.. and then rotting* die! Huw gac?.- e how infiniteivsf>prowfuU God <lo this? — curse these inno** - Bent chi!dr€rt with a curse too h<»a--vy to b«af? If he did. he is n , 6trange God and his ways are paF;t finding out.. These chiidrcn. thesp things in h'iman, sang; vps, actually attemptei to sing before Her Majesty. What a furce and mockery of jov! There was more weeping thatf*singii«g. In passing v?e mustsaya wōrd in praĪBe of the Sisters of Meroy who conduct this school and home. -But nothing we ean write ean do justice to the courage, the devotion, the se]i-sacrific«of these sisters. : They eome to this rotting ground where unspeakable horrors niake <he soul sick, and here thev liveand work. devoting theif 3ives to lessening Soii)ewhat the miserv of the people where misery is so abundant and hburly grows and mulliplies. They keep the school; thej| * make clothes for the inmates; thev eook the food and feed the handlessr ihey give medicine-to tl»e sick and comfort the dying. The3 r arebeautiful tender women. They areeducated, refided and intenig^nt. To be Gontinueu.