om that of Cape
Colony (q.v.). The town was granted municipal institutions in 1836.
(Among the councillors returned at the election of 1904 was Dr
Abdurrahman, a Mahommedan and a graduate of Edinburgh, this being, it is
believed, the first instance of the election of a man of colour to any
European representative body in South Africa.) The municipality owns the
water and lighting services. The municipal rating value was, in 1880
L2,054,204, in 1901 L9,475,260, in 1908 (when the rate levied was 3d. in
the L) L14,129,439. The total rateable value of the suburbs, not
included in the above figures, is over L8,000,000. Rates are based on
capital, not annual, value. The control of the port is vested in the
Harbour and Railway Board of the Union.

Cape Town is the seat of the legislature of the Union of South Africa,
of the provincial government, of the provincial division of the Supreme
Court of South Africa, and of the Cape University; also of an archbishop
of the Anglican and a bishop of the Roman Catholic churches.

CAPE VERDE ISLANDS (_Ilhas do Caba Verde_), an archipelago belonging to
Portugal; off the West African coast, between 17 deg. 13' and 14 deg.
47' N. and 22 deg. 40' and 25 deg. 22' W. Pop. (1905) about 138,620;
area, 1475 sq. m. The archipelago consists of ten islands:--Santo Antao
(commonly miswritten St Antonio), Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sao Nicolao,
Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, Sao Thiago (the St Jago of the English), Fogo, and
Brava, besides four uninhabited islets. It forms a sort of broken
crescent, with the concavity towards the west. The last four islands
constitute the leeward (Sotavento) group and the other six the windward
(Barlavento). The distance between the coast of Africa and the nearest
island (Boa Vista) is about 300 m. The islands derive their name,
frequently but erroneously written "Cape Verd," or "Cape de Verd"
Islands, from the African promontory off which they lie, known as Cape
Verde, or the Green Cape. The entire archipelago is of volcanic origin,
and on the island of Fogo there is an active volcano. No serious
eruption has taken place since 1680, and the craters from which the
streams of basalt issued have lost their outline.

[Illustration: CAPE VERDE Is. map.]

_Climate_.--The atmosphere of the islands is generally hazy, especially
in the direction of Africa. With occasional exceptions during summer and
autumn, the north-east trade is the prevailing wind, blowing most
strongly f