The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-28
A MYSTERIOUS RACE
A SETTLEMENT OF WHITES WHO
HAVE LIVED 800 YEARS UNKNOWN.

Cut on From tho World In Their Noun
tain Homo = Beautiful, Fair Haired.
| White Skinned Girls Clad In snoxvv
| Linen Garments.
That white races of mysterious origin
and of an advanced grade of civilization
exist i'll certain of tho rs yet unexplored
| 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 Haygard
and other English novelists have found
i'll reports bearing upon the subject tho
theme of many Of their most popular
stories.
But no attention has been drawn MS
yet to tho fact that i'll the interior of
San Jaso, tho 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 fer 300 years past have been abso-
lutely cut off from all intercourse with
the outer world, and who are fair
haired, light oomplexioned 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 tho sky limo
of San Jago the mountain of San An
tonic towers aloft i'll IL pinnacle to tho
height of some 5000 feet In form it
conveys the impression of an ancient
volcano, with its sharp slope OH the
side toward the sea, but on tho inland
sldo tho declivity is broken by sort of
cup shaped interval, at the farther end
OF which there is tho stump of what
seems i'll times gone by to have consti-
tuted second peak, of equal height to
San Antonio. but which, through some
great cataolysm of nature, has been
broken off some 1000 or 5000 feet
above tho common base
Strangely enough, tho peak of San
Antonio is accessible to clever noun
taineers, whereas the sister mountain
that is to say. the broken off peaks
quito the reverse. From the point where
1T rises from the surrounding desert
table land there is nothing but d 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 cupliko
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 great sheet of
water of marvellous depth and clearness.
On this farther end Of tho lake and
Ill 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 tho slightest alarm of
visitors they seek the shelter of the rock
But by hiding Oh 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
opening of the caves and extends down
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 Slke and
to sport on tho cool green grass. The
men, too, arc simply dressed in much
the Same way, their white linen gar
ments being admirably suited to the
troplc climate. Many other signs Of q
high degree Of civilization 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 fiat rooted houses
running parallel with one another, all
brilliantly lighted by the sun, and there
fore leading to the belief that the inte-
rlor Of this sister mountain of San An
tonic must be followed out into some
valley, possibly tic crater of an extinct
volcano, which, through somo freak of
nature, has been converted from barren
basalt and lava into grassy and fertile
slopes.
An intrepid explorer would not have
great difficulty in reaching tho Cantadas
people. All that would be necessary
"Nu'" ~ W "sccHu tiio Oan ANTONIO
peak, to descend on the other side until
one reached the cliffs that overhang tho
Cantadas lake, to have oneself lowered
by means of rope to the surface of the
| latter and then to swim across the lake,
which may be anywhere from four to
six miles in length.
Certain scientists who have investi-
gated the tradition and rumors that ex-
list about the Cantadas among tho in