The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-24
A MYSTERIOUS RACE.
A SETTLEMENT OF WHITES WHO
HAVE LIVED 800 YEARS UNKNOWN.
Cut on From. the World In Their Noun
tain Hons Beautiful, Fair Haired,
White skinned Girls Clad In Snowy
Linen Garments.

tain Hons Beautiful, Fair Haired
White skinned Girls Clad In Snow,
Linen Garments.
That white races of mysterious origin
and Of an advanced grade of civilization
exist in certain of the as yet UNEMPLOYED
plateaus of Africa has long been mat.
ter Of tradition among all those who
have devoted their attention to the eth.
biographical 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 800 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 IA pinnacle to the
height of some 5000 feet. In form it
conveys the impression of an ancient
volcano, with its sharp slope on the
side toward the sea, but on the inland
side the declivity is broken by a sort of
cup shaped interval, at the farther end
OF which there is the stump of what
seems In times gone by 10 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.
Strangely enough, the peak of San
Antonio is accessible to clever noun
taineers, whereas the sister mountain
that is 10 say, the broken off peaks
quite the reverse. From the point where
1t rises from the surrounding desert
table land there is nothing bnt ii steep
wall OF volcanic rock, not merely hun
dreds but probably couple of thou
sand feet high. Indeed the only CONT
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
Cantadas lake. 1t 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 Cantadas 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 of !
visitors they seek the shelter of the rock. !
But by hiding on the opposite cliffs un-
til evening and with the aid of glasses |
1t Is possible TO get good view of them !
when they begin at sunset to gather on |
the grassy meadow which fronts the |
to the waters edge
Beautiful, fair haired, white skinned |
girls, clad In flowing white linen gar
ments. which scarcely conceal the sinu-
Gus 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 i'm much
- Ia |
ments being admirably suited to the
tropic climate. Many other signs of a
high degree of civilization appear, and
from certain points near the summit of
san Antonio it is possible, with the aid
IL strong glasses, to catch glimpses
through assures here and there i'm the
wall of rock of the twin mountain. of
sheep and cattle grazing, of green fields
IND trees and of white, fiat rooted houses
unning parallel with one another, all
brilliantly lighted by the sun, and there
ore leading to the belief that the int.
Tor OF this sister mountain of San An
ONO must be followed out into some
ALLEY, possibly the crater Of an extinct
'olcano, which, through some freak of
nature, has been converted from barren
'asalt and lava into grassy and fertile
lopes
An intrepid explorer would not have
reat difficulty in reaching the Cantadas
'eople. All that would be necessary !
would be to ascend the San Antonio
eak, to descend on the other side until
ne reached the cliffs that overhapp the
'antadas lake, to have oneself lowered i
y means of rope to the surface of the I
after and then to swim across the lake. 9
Which may be anywhere from four To t
TX miles in length. i
Certain scientists who have inyesti- 7
ated the tradition and rumors that ex- y
70 about the Cantadas among the in. I
abitants, African and Portuguese. of }
ne Cape Verde islands, are inclined TO b
40 belief that they are of Cornish o
rigin. This theory is due to the fact h
nat what is stated to be their tonrue d
'sembles the dialect of the natives of +;
ornwall more than any other known n