The king made a short address to the lepers, the
substance of which was "that his heart was grieved with the
necessity which had separated these, his subjects, from their homes
and families, a necessity which they themselves recognised and
acquiesced in, and it should be the earnest desire of himself and
his government to render their condition in exile as comfortable as
possible." While he spoke, though it is supposed that a merciful
apathy attends upon leprosy, his hideous audience showed signs of
deep feeling, and many shed tears at his thoughtfulness in coming to
visit those, who, to use their own touching expression, were
"already in the grave."
The account which follows is from the pen of a gentleman who
accompanied the king, and visited the hospital on the same occasion,
in company with two members of the Board of Health.
"As our party stepped on shore, we found the lepers assembled to the
number of two or three hundred--there are 697 all told in the
settlement--for they had heard in advance of our coming, and our
ears were greeted with the sound of lively music. This proceeded
from the 'band,' consisting of a drum, a fife, and two flutes,
rather skilfully played upon by four young lads, whose visages were
horribly marked and disfigured with leprosy.
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