The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-09-01
\ MYSTERIOUS RACE.
A SETTLEMENT OF WHITES WHO
HAVE LIVED 800 YEARS UNKNOWN.

HAVE LIVED 800 YEARS UNKNOWN.
Cut on From the World In Their Noun
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
platcaus of Africa has long been mat
ter of tradition among nil 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
III reports bearing upon tho subject the
theme of many of their most popular
stories
But no attention has been drawn as
yet to the fact that in tho interior OF
San Jago, the largest of the Cape Verde
islands, which nestle i'll the Atlantic
off the most westerly point of northern
Africa, there exists strange people
known by the name of the Uantadas,
who for 800 years past have been abso-
lutely cut off from all intercourse with
tho outer world. and who are fair
haired, light complexioned and blue
| eyed, whereas the remaining population
of tho 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 line
of San Jago tho mountain of San An
tonic towers aloft in pinnacle to the
height of some 8, 600 feet In form It
conveys tho impression of an ancient
volcano, with its sharp slope on the
| side toward the sea, but on tho inland
| side tho dcciyity is broken by sort of
cup shaped interval, at the farther end
of which there is tho stump of what
seems in times gone by to have eonsti-
tuted second peak, of equal height to
San Antonio, but which, through some
great catnelysm 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 to say, the broken Off peaks
quito the reverse From the point where
1t rises from tho surrounding desert
table land there is nothing but Il steep
wall of volcanic rock, not merely hun
drods but probably couple of thou
sand feet high. Indeed tho only point
whence access could ever be obtained
to the summit of the sister mountain of
| San Antonio would be from the cuplike
t.,I, 4 Il
mention of which has been made above.
This cup, however, is filled with
water and il known by tho name of the
Cantadas lake 1t is 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 tho mountain sell
dom leavo their habitatious during day
time and on tho slightest alarm Of
visitors they sock tho shelter of tho rock
But by hiding ON tho opposite cliffs un-
til evening and with the aid of glasses
il IL possible to get good view of them
whom they begin ut sunset to gather on
tho grassy meadow which fronts the
opening of the caves and extends down
| to tho waters edge.
beautiful, fair haired, white skinned
girls, clad i'll 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 tho cool green grass Tho
men, too, arc simply dressed in much
the same way, their white linen gar
ments being admirably suited TO the
tropic climate Many other signs Of
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 tho belief that the inte-
rior OF this sister mountain of San An
tonic must be followed out into some
valley, possibly tho crater of an extinct
volcano, which, through some freak of
nature, has been converted from barren
basalt and lava into grassy and fertile
slopes
An intrepid explorer would not have
great difficulty i'll reaching the Cantadas
people All that would be necessary
would be to ascend the San Antonio
peak, to descend ON the other side until
one reached the cliffs that overhang the
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 bo anywhere from four to
six miles iii length.
Certain scientists who have investi-
gated the tradition and rumors that ex-
list about the Cantudas among the in
habitants, African and Portuguese, of
the Cape Verde islands, are inclined to
the belief that they are of Cornish
origin. This theory is due TO the fact
that what is stated to be their tongue
resembles the dialect of the natives Of
Cornwall more than any other known
language New York journal.