The Press., 1897-11-04
A MYSTERIOUS RAGE.
4 SETTLEMENT OF WHITESa WHO
 HAVE LIVED 300 YEARS UNkNoWN.i

HAVE LIVED 300 YEARS UhH<NeWN.i Out on From the World In Their Moun-
 tain Home Beautiful, Fair Haired,
 White Skinned Girls Clad In Snowy
 Linen Garments. ''
 That white races of mysterious origin and of an advanced grade of civilization exist in certain of the as yet unexplored plateaus of Africa has long been a mat ter of tradition among all those who have devoted their attention to the eth and geographical science of the dark continent. and Rider Haggard and other English novelists have found in reports bearing upon the subject the theme of many of their most popular stories.
 But no attention has been drawn as yet to the fact that in the interior of San Jago, the largest of the Cape Verde islands, which nestle in the Atlantic off the most westerly point of northern Africa, there exists strange people known by the name of the Cantadas, who for 300 years past have been abso- lutely cut off from all intercourse with the outer world, and who are fair haired, light complexioned and blue eyed, whereas the: remaining population of the Cape Verde islands consists of negroes and of Portuguese, who are almost as swarthy and somber in color as full blooded Africans.
 Clear and sharp against the sky line of San Jago the mountain of San An tonic towers aloft in pinnacle to the height of some 8, 900 feet. In form it conveys the impression of an ancient volcano, with it's sharp slope -on the side toward the sea, but on the inland side the declivity is broken by sort of cup shaped interval, at the farther end of which there is the stump of what seems in times gone by to have consti- tuted @ second peak, of equal height to San Antonio, but which, through some great cataclysm of nature, has been broken off some 4,00O or 5000 feet above the common base.
 Strangely enough, the peak of San Antonio is accessible to clever noun taineers, whereas the sister mount tain that is to say, the broken off peak-is quite the reverse. From the point where 1t rises from the surrounding desert table land there is nothing but a steep wall of volcanic rock, not merely hun dreds but probably couple of thou sand feet high. Indeed the only point whence access could ever be obtained to the summit of the sister mountain of San Antonio would be from the cuplike interval which divides the two. and mention of which has been made above. This cup, however, is filled with water and is known by the name of the Oantadas lake. It is a great sheet of water of marvellous depth and clearness On this farther end of the lake, and in the interior of this sister mountain of San Antonio, dwells the. mysterious | white race known as the Gantadas. Dis trustful, apparently, of the,gaze of stran- gers, these people of the mountain sell dom leave their habitations during day time, and on the slightest alarm o1 | visitors they seek the shelter of the rock. But by hiding on the opposite cliffs rin- til evening and with the aid ofa glasses | it is possible to get a good view ofrthem when they begin at sunset to gather on | the grassy meadow which fronts the opening of the caves and extends down to the waters edge:
 Beautiful. fair haired, white skinned girls, clad ill flowing white Hnen gar ments. which scarcely conceal the sinu- ous beauty of perfect grace and form, come out to wash linen in the lake and to sport on the cool green grass. The men, too. are simply dressed in much the same way, their white linen gar ments being admirably suited to the
 tropic climate. Many other signs Of 8 high degree of civilization appear, and from certain points near the summit o1 San Antonio it is possible, with, the aid of strong glasses, to catch glimpses
 through Assures here and there in the
 wall of rock of the twin mountain, o1 sheep and cattle grazing, of green field;
 and trees and of white, fiat rooted houses
 running parallel with one another, all
 brilliantly lighted by the sun, and there.
 fore leading to the belief that the inte
 rior of this sister mountain of San An tonic must be hol1owed out into some
 valley. possibly the crater of an extinct
 volcano, which, through some freak ot
 nature, has been converted from barre1
 basalt and lava into grassy and fertile
 slopes .S--' .'.' ''s --
 An intrepid explorer would not hay,
 great difficulty in reaching the Cantadai people. All that would be necessary
 would be to ascend the San Antonio peak, to descend on the other side unti
 one reached the cliffs that ;overhang tn, Cantadas lake, to have oneself lowered
 by means efsa rope to the surface of th' latter and then to swim across the lake
 which may be anywhere: from four tt
 six miles in length. ..-..!, :. ... | Certain scientists who. have investi gated the tradition and rumors that ex
 ist about the Cantadas among the in
 habitants; African and Portuguese, O
 the Cape Verde islands, are inclined t
 the belief that they are of Cornisl
 origin. This theory is due to the fac
 that what is stated to be their tongu
 resembles the dialect of f the natives o Cornwall more than any other knowl
 language. New York Journal
 - a& ;rk, . ." A Woman Matadore at Cordova.