Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-10-06
THE GERS INDIANS.
cRuxL INHABIrANfs OF TIBU-
RON, A MEXICAN ISLAND.

!
A Race Of Indians Totally Unlike An.
Other Aborigines-A wretched HI
OF savagedom.
1t Is a curious fact that Mexico pos
sesscs an island in the Gulf OF California
Eonly couple Of miles from the mainland
of the State of Sonora, and not over 81
miles from Hermosillo, the capital of the
Estate, over which the National or Stat,
authorities exercise no authority, which
has never been thoroughly explored, and
which is inhabited by race of Indians
totally unlike any other tribe of Aborig-
ines in that part of the world Frank
Oakley, who was for some years resi-
dept, OF the Guaypas and other Mexican
places on the Gulf, is In Los Angeles,
ana from him have CLEANED some facts
about this little bit of savagedom, and
its more wretched inhabitants, which will
be of interest, not only in themselves, but
in the light they throw on Mexico's indif-
ference to its wards. The island is called
Tiburon, which means s'the shark" q
VERY appropriate title when all its fea
lures are understood. Its exact location
1 - bcIWccn tnc Sotis uuu GUN ueBTcc Vi
latitude and the 34th degree of longi-
tude.
1.-THE island is not large said Mr..
Oakley, ''its extreme length being about
twenty miles, andits greatest width be-
ing something like twelve miles. 1t lies
of the coast of Sonora separated from
the mainland by strait only two or three
miles wide. Taking 1t as the crow flies,
1t is only thirty miles from the city of
Hermosillo. II lis inhabited by tribe of
Indians Of which less is known, perhaps,
than of the Fuegians of the Southern
Continent, and who are fully as low in
the social scale, though not as repulsive
in features as the latter.
A Notwithstanding the short distance
which separates these Indians, who are
called Ceris, from the mainland, the in
:habitants of that State know next to
nothing about them and their island has
neverbeen thoroughly explored on ac-
count of their hostility to visitors. i have
seen parties of them occasionally at Her
-mosilio, and suburb OF that city is
called after them Pueblo de Ceris.
"The island is in appearance most un-
inviting. 1t is mountainous and barren,
its flora suggestive of its people, as it
consists chiefly of cacti of the tuna and
pitaza >class which produce ',prickly
pears ''besnagas, they are thick,
round cacti growing to the size of five
gallon keys-,mesquit bushes, greasewood
and stuntswood trees. In Few of the
valleys, however, 1t rs said that sycam0res
grow and some grass is to be found.
''Jackrabbits, quail and rattlesnakes
appear like the Ceris to be natives of the
isla d, and burros, q few cattle and q
great many dogs have been imported by
the Indians as a result of their raids into
Sonora. No one knows how many Indians
there are on the Island but there are not
thought to be over 500, and there won't
be that many very long, as they are dying
out. They live on fish principally, and
do not hesitate to eat those which have
been cast upon the sands by the sea,
even If they ar more or less decayed
They will also eat most any kind of ami
NAL, not being particular whether it was
killed for that purpose or not. Some
few years ago they were very hostile, and
would not allow any one to land on the
island, and even as yet, no exploring
party has ventured to go any distance in
land, so forbidding are they an so treach-
eroYs. They would cross to the main
land occasionally and make forays ON the
ranches, bnt the rurales punished them
severely several times, and of late they
have maintained a sullen sort of good be-
havior. The Mexicans have only. one
naval vessel on this coast, you know, the
Democrata she is called, small rickety
wooden steamer; but she is a wonder to
these Indians, and when she occasionally
steams past, they seem to realize that
there rs a power which could be brought
to bear on them which they could not re-
sist. When they visit Hermosillo, they
always travel in squads, and sell bows
and arrows and singing birds, and steal
what they can.
Their nearest neighbors among the
aborigines are the Cahuilas of Lower
California; the Cowpohs of Lower Col
orado, and the Yaquis of Southern So
nora, but to these they bear no rescm-
blance. They are different in contour of
the face and head; in size they are
smaller, and in cleanliness, industry and |
intellect they are not to be compared,
and their language is totally different.
On the island they are most inhospitable,
and show it plainly. When parties are
not strong enough to inspire respect they
will not be permitted to land at all, and |
have heard of several cases in the last |
ten years of their numbering shipwrecked
sailors who had sought refuge on their |
shores. AS they are extremely treacher-
Gus and use poisoned arrows for weap-
ons, whose slightest scratch means a |
horrible death, the Mexicans leave them |
severely alone. Private individuals have |
no business relations with them, and |
Government officials can make nothing
out of them.
'1n former times the Ceris were in the |
habit of making trips as far down as the
environs of Guaymas, and they would
steal whatever came in their way, from a
COW or q steer to burro or goat, a
horse or a mule to a dog or cat, and
would eat their booty. They got the
reputation of being cannibals, If the oc.
casion offered, and would kidnap chill
drfn boldly. In this manner number
OF little ones were stolen from their pa
rents during the years that passed before
the savages were cowed, and their fate
can only be surmised. "-lNew York