Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
NEW MEXICO'S WHITE INDIANS.
Much Faircr Than the Average white
Man Who Lives Outdoors.

From the Scientific American.
For more than a hundred years the ques-
| ton whether there existed in America a
tribe Of white Indians has been agitated.
and more or less positive statements from
learned men can be quoted on both sides.
That the legend of a white race had basis
in fact is proved by six individuals. still Nv
ing in the Pueblo of Zuni New Mexico. Their
existence, however is known to very Few.
and even Of those who have visited the VIII
lage not many have seen the white Indians,
for as a rule they keep themselves out or
sight. The history of the legend Is interest
ing.
From the earliest times more or less def
mite rumors about white Indians have been
current. In 1871 the Rev DIR. John Will
Jams published a treatise on the SUBJECT
which is now very rare, although the I'M
petus which he gave the inquiry still sur
wives. The purpose of the publication was
to start a subscription FUND, to be devoted 10
the exploration 'of the wild parts OF Amer
lea beyond the Ohio river" where the au-
thor was sure the lOng-sought white men
would be found. In his own mind there
was not the slightest doubt that these
whites were descendants OF Prince Madoc
of Wales who, according to the old Welsh
legend, left his native country soon after
ITO A. D., on account of family dissenslons,
and sailed 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 gathering his adherents
about him he set sail again for the far
west to the land which he had found and
never afterward heard of. Dr. Will
Jams contended that the white Indians were
the descendants of these twelfth century
Welshmen and whatever may be thought
of his conclusion his argument was certain
ly worth consideration. He cited the many
reports concerning these Indians then cur
III invite of ha
American continent, particularly the ac-
count of a man named Huntington, native
of England, who had met the white In
dams at a grand trading meeting. on In
dian fair, at the forks of the Ohio. He
was told that they came from remote dis
trict, west of the Mississippi. Rimington's
companion, a Weshman, claims TO have
spoken to these Indians in his own IAN
guage. 1t was said also that these Indians
had a book, which they venerated highly,
but were unable to read.
More than sixty years later, when the Pa
cific railroad surveys across the continent
other form, but the white Indians were
definitely located at the Pueblo of Zuni.
In the reports of that survey, published in
1S56 a description of one of these Indians
is given, together with a list of words,
which We're said to be practically synony-
nous in the Zuni and Welsh languages.
No explanation of the presence OF white
members of the tribe was attempted. About
1877 j. H. Beadle, newspaper correspond
ent visited Zuni. He mentions a book
which these Indians had. and which they
regarded with great reverence, although
they could not read il.
There can be no doubt that the white
Indians at Zuni are albnos. There are
four others at the Moki villages and sew
eral scattered among the other Pueblos. In
dress, manners. customs language, they are
like their fellows. but their complexion is
very fair; they are, indeed, much winter
than the average white who has lived
much in the open air. Their hair is q
tawny yellow, instead of the jet black
which characterizes the Indian. Their eyes
are so weak that they have to keep them
closed in the sunlight. This is due, doubt
less to the absence of coloring matter in the
iris. AS the skin lacks that protection also
these people suffer very much from sun
burn, where the regular Indian is almost
as immune negro. Their eyelidS and
lips are always sore, and IL Is probably on
account of their dread of the sunlight that
SO few travellers have seen them.
To those who have seen these curious
freaks they give the impression at first that
they Irishmen dressed as Indians, for
their faces have a decidedly Celtic cast.
The only way, however, in which they diff
fer from other members Of the tribe Ia in the
absence of cOloring matter in the skin and
hair. The cause of this albnOism has rot
been determined IL may be due to close
intermarriage within the family, an inevi-
table result of the social system Of the
Pueblos, and their organization under the
clan or gems system.