Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-11-08
new MExlC0'S
WHITE INDIANS
A Romantic Tradition That They Are De-
~scendants of the Legendary Welsh
Prince Named Madoc.
THE INDIANS Are MERELY ALBINOS

The INDIANS Are MERELY ALBlNOS
For more than 100 years the question
whether there existed in America a
tribe of white Indians has been agi-
tated, and more or less positive state
ments from learned men can be quoted
on both sides. That the legend of a
white race mad a basis in fact is proved
by six individuals still living in the
pueblo of Zuni, n. NJ, says the Scien-
titic American. Their existence, how
ever, is known to very few, and even of
those who have visited the village, not
many have seen the white Indians, for
as a rule they keep themselves out of
sight. The history of the legend is in
teresting.
From the earliest times more or less
definite rumors about white Indians
have been current. In 1891 the Rev. DR..
John Williams published a treatise on
the subject, which is now very rare, al
though the impetus which he gave the
inquiry still survives. The purpose OF
the publication was to start a sub
scription fund, to be devoted to the ex-
ploration g Of the wild parts of Ameri-
ca beyond the Ohio river" where the
author was sure the long-sought white
men would be found. In his own mind
there was not the slightest doubt h a
these whites were descendants OF
Prince Madoc, of Wales, who, according
to the old Welsh legend. left his native
| country soon after no A. D., on ac-
| count of family d~issension, and start
ed out to the west. leaving Ireland on
his right hand.
According to the ancient bards,
Prince Madoc returned in the course of
time with glowing accounts of a new
country he had discovered, and, gath
ering his adherents about him, he set
sail again for the far west, to the LAM
which he had found. and was never af-
forwards heard of. DR.. Williams con-
tended that the white Indians were the
descendant of these 18th Gentry Welsh
men, and, whatever may be thought
of his conclusion, his argument was
certainly worth consideration. he citeo
the many reports concerning these In
dams her current, coming from var
iuus parts of the American continent
particularly the account of a man nam
ed Rimington, d native of England, VINO
had met the white Indians at a CRANE
trading meeting, or Indian fair, at tht
forks of the Ohio. He was told thai
they came from a remote district ives
of the Mississippi. Rimington's com
panion, a Welshman, claims to have
spoken to these Indians in his own Ian
guage. 1t was said also that these In
dams had a book, which they veneratet
highly, but were unable to read.
More than sixty years later, when thu
Pacific railroad surveys across the con
tinent were made, the story cropped gu
in another form, but the white Indians
were definitely located at the pueblo o
Zuni. In the reports of the survey pub
lished in 1856, a description of n of tn
Indians is given, together with a lis
of words which We're said to be practi
caTy synonymous in the Zuni ant
Welsh languages. No explanation o
the presence of white members of tn
tribe was attempted. About 1877, J.. II
BOadle, a newspaper correspondent, Wis
tied Zuni. He mentions a book whicl
these Indians had, and which they re
garded with great reverence, although
they could not read it.
There can be no doubt that the whit
Indians at Zuni are albinos. There ar
four others at the Moqui villages an
several scattered among the other pue
bios. In dress, manners, customs an
language, they are like their fellows
but their complexion is very fair, the,
are, indeed, much whittier thar the av
erage white man who has lived much il
the open air. Their hair is a tawny
yellow, instead of the jet black whicl
characterizes the Indian. Their eye
are so weak that they have to kee
| them closed in the sunlight. This i
I due, doubtless, to the absence of color
ing matter in the iris. AS the ski
lacks that protection also these peopl
suffer very much from s%unburn, wher
the regular Indian is almost as immun
as a negro. Their eyelids and lips ar
always sore, and it is probably or &C
count of their dread of the sunligh
that so few travellers have seen them.
To those who have seen these curiou
freaks they give the impression at frs
that they are Irishmen dressed as In
dams, for their faces have a decidedl
Celtic cast. The only way, however, il
which they differ from other member
of the tribe is in the absence of colorinI
matter in the skin and hair. The caus
of this albinoism has not been deter
mined; it may be due to close intermar
riage within the family, an inevitabl
result of the social system of the pueb
los and their organization under tn
clan or gems system.