Norwich bulletin., 1922-05-19
IN THE DAYS NEWS
Cape verde Islands.

The man who travels much usually
cards his memory induces with a series
of superlahives. He must do this for his
self protection. He can revise his esti-
mates privately, and he may not expect
you to agree with him. yet he must have
this mental armor against the chance in.
quirer who fires the broadside bromides:
What is your favorite mountain"
Where did you see the most beautiful
women?"
What is the most beautiful view you
ever saw"
"All of which" says bulletin of the
National Geographic society, lis a eau
ton to take with grain of salt, for
what you may conclude it is worth, the
opinion of at least one travel writer that
the Cape Verde Islands, second landing
place of the Lisbon-to-Brazil fliers, is
the most uninteIesting place 1 have Wis.,
tied
According to this authority, the Cape
Verde Archipelago is the place of all /
have yet seen best suited to the treat
ment Of the old time school geography.
You can tell that it consists Of an archi-
pelago Of ten inhabited islands, and
others on which human beings have so
far had better Judgment than to settle !;
that it lies 400 miles west Of Cape Verde,
Africa and point out that It took its
name from the aforesaid cape, which the
youthful reader probably could be left to
guess for himself that all the islands are
volcanoes, that there is a rainy season
followed by epidemics. but that If the
rainy season does not arrive, as has been
| the case on some Of The islands, famine
| precedes the epfdenic-and there you
| have the story
'It is true that the Cape Verde Islands
do not compare with the exquisite Cana
| ries. first landing place Of the airmen, in
beauty human interest, faunal features,
or Salubrious breezes. Travellers pass
| them by. Baedeker ignores them. Yet.
now that they are taking. on new impor-
tanee as an aerial hating place, the ISL
ands may be rescued from innocuous
obscurity.
1.-The naturalist would find on one Of
| the Islands seabird unknown elswhere
and a plant-eating lizard. The student Of
economic geography would be interested
| to work out the reason why the inhabit-
ants of one Of the group, Bravo, have de-
| veIeped a land-owning propensity which
leads them into CONSTANT legal wrangles
| while q spirit Of come what may and
| Indifference to ownership of anything In
! tests the other islands.
Less than century ago Sac Yinoents
naa only a hundred people, To-Day II is
the commerce center Of a group And
| there must be fascinating story anent
the EngMshman who founded a coalins
station in q place where you have to i'm.
port water, wood and food. and made it q
busy little spot very far off the mair
streets Of Atlantic traffic,
/ 'The export articles of the islands reat
like your itenised groSery bill-sugar
coffee, ricA bananas, lemons, oranges
grapes and nuts. Tobacco and millet ais,
are produced Flows are not widely used
; Trees are suffering from giving too man.
| goats too much liberty.
"And, if further statistics are desired
the total area of the islands is As
miles; their population 14s,79S, of whor
/ but 4,7ss are white.
II THE best natural harbor on Mait
has a long Portuguese name, but is usual
ly known as Porto Inglez, because tn
English maintained a foothold there unit
: a century or more ago. The marriag
8 contract Of PortugaTs Lulu Bett pri1
3 cess, Catherine of Braganza, to England
h / Don Juan monarch, Charles l., containe
nj a clause upon which this claim wa
n | founded