The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-25
THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.

~ CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.
An Important but Uninviting Group on
Africa.
One hears a good deal of st. Vincent,
Cape Verde islands, these days. but
few people have anything but a very
vague idea as to what manner of place
II may be. says the Chicago Inter
Ocean. To speak the truth, the island
certainly has few attractions: on the
other hand. it has p~eculiarities which
at times make 1t seem q part Of
Dante's Inferno.
Long before one reaches the Cape
Verde islands. in fact, from half a
days steam distant. the high mount
ain peaks away off on the horizon ap-
pear misty and and announce
the lear approach to land and the
proximity of the Portuguese settle
ments. In the meantime all around is
sweltering heat, dazzling sun and un-
changed blue. the air clear to the point
of a vacuum. and this intensity of
light has a most peculiar effect as n
gets near the islands-they seem to
stand out without any relief i'm the
way of lights n shadows, a fiat,
dusky yellow picture on blu canvas.
Dusty brown rocks and peaks. hard
and without relief, standing up against
a bright blu background. with a per-
fectly clear and deep blue sea in front.
a sea so clear that as the steamers
rest at anchor in the bay the half
breed boys swim from the shore and
dive for silver coins in and out under
the keels of the largest ocean vessels,
and one can see them down to the
sandy bottom of the ocean, catching
the coin and laughing up to the sur
j faaa -, tha ,tAar ci1a Of tha chin
AS to the island. in this case surely
distance lends enchantment to the
view, for though at long range n be-
fore landing 1t is not half bad by way
of q study in bizarre e~ffects-vivid
ochre, browns and ultramarine blues
once on shore it is awful. Dust and
rocks. rocks and dust, here and there
a small patch of tropical shrub or a
half-grown tree. but all dust covered.
The steamer and warships lie out in
the harbor, which is excellent, and Is
the reason of this veritiable hells
mouth becoming one of the mouth
pieces to civilizations speaking tubes.
for the Eastern Cable company has a
station here. and from st. Vincent are
the movements of ocean steamers duly
chronicled as they ceaselessly come
and go to take on coal. But to return
to the harbor-it is very large, and in
shape like a horseshoe. with another
and comparatively fertile island, by
name San Antonio, lying across the
open front and protecting 1t from the
Atlantic storms-the ships coming n
going through the opposite corners.
One goes ashore in the Inevitable small
boat, which bumps alongside a low
coallng wharf, where the first person
met with will probably be the also in
evitable Englishman, and most likely
one of the Miller family, the millionaire
owners of he coaling station. for the
enterprise of a private firm is response
BILE for the coal supplies at st. Vincent,
which are brought over from England
in Golfers and then stored on the ISL
and in very large quantities.
About the only other white men on
the island are a few diminutive Portu-
guese officials. brave in uniforms and
gold lace. and the employees OF the
cable the latter OF whom
possess, besides their m~addening and
clicking instruments, a rickety billiard
table, a few sorry horses, which they
race UP and down the sandy stretches
along the shore, and a large STOCK OF
rood whiskey. Particular mention IL
made OF the spirits, because there is
no water in this accused isle-it has
to be brought across in boats from
n~eighboring San Antonio.
The natives do such labor as there
is to be done, acting as boatmen, steve
| OOTcS anu tTNdhtS-thN u % VI
4 tuguese, half African. and speak Por-
tuguese as their native tongue. and,
as their favorite occupation, do moth
ing. The somehow manage to exist
on the crumbs gathered from the pass
ing steamers. OF town there Is none,
Just a struggling T-shaped street OF
low houses, here and there a drinking
place or filthy Joint, and here and
there a ship chambers, and that is all.
The society events Of the station are
usually confined to entertainment
given by the hospitable crew or pas
sengers of some steamer or war poa'
taking on coal, but there is no diver
sity: the. going of n ship Is the com
ing of the next, n there are always
two or three in the harbor. In fact
the monotony and dust are stupen-
dous.
Such is st. Vincent at present. The
islands belong to Portugal, n the
coal supplies are the property OF ar
English firm. Cape Verde, however; Is
81. Vincent itself could be but the
scene of a naval battle, for the only
yestiges of life, always excepting the
miserable lane or street OF houses al
ready described. are the ships riding al
anchor in the offing. Nevertheless. the
place, such as 1t is. plays the part o.
A halfway house in the WORLDS nap
peniugs Steamers from South Africa
from the River Platte. the Pacific
coast of South America, and from
Brazil. all cal there, and the time
worn, heat-weary rocks on the African
coast are, after all. a factor In GU
civilization by virtue Of the coal sup
plies and cable station.
AS to the interior of the island. there
is none. simply rocks, ever higher and
higher. till they become mountains
The n~eighboring island of Son Antonio
is equally steep and precfpitous, bu,
there is abundance of fresh water. ana