The leader., 1897-08-11
MYSTERIOUS WHITE RACE.
Live ON an inaccessible Mountain In
the Cane Verde Islands

the tHpe terdc lslnnds.
That white races OF mysterious
origin aud of an advanced grade Of
civilization exist in certain of the yet
unexplored parts Of Africa has long
been a matter of tradition among all
those who have devoted their attention
to the ethnographical and geographic
81 science of the Dark Continent.
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, there exists a 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, who are fair-haired,
light-compleXioned and blue-cyed,
whereas the remaining population of
the Cape Verde islands consists of ne
groes and of Portuguese, who are about
us 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 5000 feet. In form il
conveys the impression of an ancient
volcano, with its sharp slope on the side
toward the sea. But on the inland
side of the declivity is broken by sort
of cup-shaped interval, at the further
end of which there is a 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 1000 or 5000 feet above
the common base.
The peak of San Antonio is access-
bic TO clever mountaineers, whereas
the sister mountain, that is to say. the
broken-off peak, is quite the reverse.
From the point where il rises from the
surrounding desert tabeland there is
nothing but a steep wall OF volcanic
rock, probably 1000 feet high.
In the interior of this sister mountain
of San Antonio dwell the mysterious
white race known as the Cantadas. Dis
trustful, apparently, of the gaze of
strangers, these people of the noun
tains seldom leave their habitations
during day time, and on the slightest
alarm of visitors they seek the shelter
of the rock.
But by being on the opposite cliffs
until evening. and with the aid of
glasses, it is possible to get good view
of them when they begin at sunset to
gather on the grassy meadow which
fronts the opening of the caves.
Beautiful, fair-haircd. white-skinned
girls, clad in flowing white linen gar
ments, come out 10 wash linen in the
lake and to sport on the cool, green
grass. The men. too, are simply DIRE ssed
in much the same way.
Many signs of high degree of ciyili-
Zation appear, and from certain points
near the summit Of 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, of sheep and cattle
grazing, of green fields and trees, and
of white, flat-roofed houses running
parallel with one another. all brilliantly
lighted by the sun, and therefore lead
ing to the belief that the interior of
this sister mountain of San Antonio
must be followed out into some val
lev, possibly the crater of an extinct
volcano, which, through some freak of
ature, has been converted from barren
basalt and lava into grassy and fertile
slopes.
Certain scientists who have investi-
gated the traditions and rumors that
exist about the Cantadas among the
inhabitants. African and Portuguese, of
the Cape Verde islands, are inclined to
the belief that they are of Cornish ori-
gin. This theory is due to the fact that
what is stated to be their tongue re-
senbles the dialect of the natives of
Cornwall more than any other known
lanCuage-N. y. journal.