The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-07-18

prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. o.
TT HREE island domains that seem
destined to take on new i'm
i pOrtance with the development
of air traffic were passed over
by the Graf Zeppelin on its recent tri-
angular voyage from Europe to South
America, to North American, and back
to Europe.
The Cape Verde islands were sight
ed first. They lie far from the usual
ship lanes and are visited by few trav-
elers. One glObe-trotter pronounced
them 1.-The most uninteresting place
have visited"
1t is true that the Cape Verde is
lands do not compare with the eX-
quisite Canaries, nearer Europe, in
beauty, human interest, faunal fea-
lures. or Salubrfous breeZeS. Baedek-
er ignores them. Yet, now that they
are taking on new Importance as land
falls on aerial routes. the islands may
be rescued from innOcuous Obscurity.
The naturalist would find on one of
the islands seabird unknown else
where and a plant-eating lizard. The
student of economic geography would
be interested to work out the reason
why the inhabitants of one of the
group, Bravo. have developed ii land
owning propensity which leads them
into constant legal wrangles. while a
spirit of ''come what may" and indif-
ference to ownership of anything in
tests the other islands.
The islands recently developed their
Grade to a point where the state de-
partment established a new consulate
on the Island of Sac Vincente Est.
Vincent).
st. Vincent is one of the II islands
of the group which form crescent
about 800 miles west of Dakar, the
easternmoSt city on the African con-
tinent. Porto Grande capital of st.
Vincent and one of the few large port
towns in the islands, is built in well
protected location with high noun
tains at it's back and in front the
massive heights of the Island of st.
Anthony almost shutting in a wide,
deep harbOr from the sea.
Total Area Is Small.
The IA islands could be placed on
the state of Rhode Island and only
few rugged edges would extend over
the borders. Sac Thiago Est. Jago),
the largest of the Cape VerdeS. is
slightly smaller in area than the city
of AnUnlnS y-biIn bn &c
land is measured by square yards.
The governor general, appointed by
the Portuguese government, resides at
Porto Praia on st. .Jago, city of
about $500 inhabitants. most of whom
are negroes. Porto Praia rivals Porto
Grande in commercial Importance. Tn
like the st. Vincent capital, which is
built from tidewater up the mountain
sfJle, Porto Praia occupies a tableland
about 100 feet above the waters edge
with three roads approaching it from
red-painted docks. 1t was at st. Jago
that Vasco da CANA stopped before
sailing around the Cape of Good Hope
All the larger islands are inhabited
the majority of the population being
quartered in compact villages and
towns built in small receSses in the
steep mOuntainsideS, overlooking the
sea. But it is in the interior of the
larger islands that one finds the real
native life of the Cape Verdes 1t is
said that the ancestors of these peo-
pie of the interior once lived along
the seashOre. But for hundred
years after Spain took control of the
islands the Cape Verdes were plum
dered by pirates. During this period
the inhabitants fled to the valleys
from which they seldom emerged ex-
cept to trade. Most of these valley
people are black but one often notes
Portuguese features. They speak a
poor quality Portuguese which is diff
cult for the European to understand.
Like Greenland, the name Cape
Verde is deceptive. 1t was taken
from Cape Verde. Africa, and in good
English means Green Cape" but there
is little on the islands to suggest that
the Cape Verdes deserve to he called
Cape Green Islands," Here and
there along the shore and il few in
terror valleys are patches of fertile
land but rocks and sand claim the
greater portion of the area. Fresh
water has always been a luxury. lack
of which has caused serious famines
in the past.
Natives Are Busy Lot
That the natives make the best of
their barren islands is Indicated by
the fact that they produce indigo. cof-
fee, castor beans. fruits, tobacco. poul-
try. potatoes and yams. Salt is also
an important product. Many of the
inhabitants who are not employed in
agriculture or shipping, are good fish
erInen and adept in making rum. cur
ing fish ana manufacturing straw hats
and seats.
When Il e islands were discovered
more than 500 years ago by two