The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-22
a PECULIAR RACE IN MEXICO.
White Indians said 40 Be Descend
ants Of weIshmen.
(From Scientific American. }


For more than 100 years the question
whether there existed in America tribe
OF white Indians has been agitatsd. and
more or less positive sta ements from
learned men can be quoted on both sides.
Ihat the legend Of d white race had q ba-
SIS IA fact is proved by six individuals
stlIl living in the pueblo of Zuni, y. N
InelF existence, however, is known to
very rev, and even Of those who have VS.
tied the village not mary have seen the
white IndisRs. for. as d rule. they keep
themselves out Of sight The history of
the legend is interesting.
From the earliest times more or less
definite Tumors about white Indians have
been current In 1891 Rev Dr. John VII
haIds published treatise on the subject.
which IS now very rare, although the i'm
petns which he gave the enquiry still sur
wives The purpose of the publication vas
10 start subscription fund. to be devoted
70 the exploration 'sof the wild parts OF
America beyond the Ohio River" where
the author vas sure the long-saught white
men would be found In his own mind
there vas not the slightest doubt that
these whites were the descendants OF
Prince Aadoc OF Wales. who, according to
the old Welsh legend. left his native coun-
try soon after 1I7e a. D. on account of
family dissensions. aud sailed out to the
west, leaving ireland ca his right hand
%AEND4--tt7 10 me ancient E1EGS- EFlnGG
MadOc returned in the course OF time
With glowing accounts Of a new country
he had GiScoFeTed. and, gathering his ati-
heTeDfss about him, he set sail again for
the Far West TO the lard which he had
found, and MAS never afterward heard OF.
Or Williams conteaded that the white
Indians were the descendants Of these
twelfth century Welshmen, ard. whatever
may BE thought of his conclusion, his ar
gu1nent was certainly worth eensidsra-
ton. lie cited the many reports con-
corning these Indians thsn current com
ing from various parts OF the American
continent. particularly the account OF a
man named Remington, native of Eng
isEa- who had net the white Indians at
grand trading meeting. or Indian fair.
at the forks CT the 0hio. He was told
that they cane from q. remote district
vest Of the Mississippi. Remington-s
companion, WeishElan claims 20 have
spoken TO these Indians in his oHn Ian
guage. 1t was said also that these In
dams had a book which they veasrated
highly, but were unable to read
More tnan sixty years later when the
Pacific Railroad surveys across the CONT
neRt we're made, TIE story croDDad ont in
another form, but tbs white Indians we're
dehaitely located at the pueblo of zu1i.
IN the reports OF the survey. published in
1896, a der eFfptioR Of one of the Indians
IS given together with a list OF words
which were said to be practically syaoav-
nous IN the Zuni and Welsh languages.
No explanation OF white members Of the
tribe was attempted About 1877
Bsadle- newspaper correspondent. visit
sd ZUni- He mentions a book which these
Indians had and which they regarded with
great reverence. although they could not
read it.
There caa be no doubt that the white In
ion nj E-r--= TJ,-,-x
others at The Moki villages and several
among the other puebIos IN dress, man
neTs, customs. and language they are like
their fellows. but their cornpIexion IS
very fair: they are. indeed. much winter
than the average white man who has lived
much IA the open air. Their hair is a
taRny yellow, instead OF the jet black
which ehaTacterizes the Indian. Their
eyes ara so weak that they have to keep
them closed in the sunlight This IS due
doubtless 10 the absence of eoloring mat
ter in the iris. As the skin lacks that
protection also. these people suffer very
much from snaburn. where the regular Ia
dian is almost as immune as q negro
their eyeiids and lips are always sore. and
it is probably on account of their dread of
the sunlight that So fey travellers have
seen them.
To those who have seen these curious
freaks they give the impression at first
that they are Irishmen dressed as IN
diaos, for their faces have a decidedly
Celtic cast The only way, however, in
which they differ from other members of
the tribe is the absence of coIering mat
ter il the skin and hair. The cause of
this aibinoism has not been determined:
1t may be due to close iaternarriage
within the family, an inevitable result OF
the social system OF the puebIoS and their
orga uszation under the clan OF gems SIS
TEN.