The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-03
LAST OF INDIAN SAyAGES.
THE sERI TRIBB AND THEIR LIFE
ON TIBURON ISLAND.
A visitor to the Region OF their Habitat In the
Gulf or California Tells what ue saw and
Learned while There or These Troacherous
and Isolated Human 1einEH.

visit OF Il. II. Silsbcc OF this city to the Sonora
coast opposite the mysterious Island in the GULF
of California. Mr.. Sllsbce is u cattle dealer. and
went on business alone. but while in that coun.
try he picked up n lot Of Information concerning
the Serbs from people who had lived along tho
Sonora coast for years. He also learned some.
thing more regarding tho massacre of Capt.
George Porter and Sailor John johnson of tho
sloop World Of this port, who were killed by the
Serbs on Tiburon last September.
I'm my travels looking for good pasturaEe I
visited the ranch OF Manuel Encinas," said Mr..
Silsbee. 'This ranch Is u lonesome place on
the mainland. q fow miles from Tiburon Island,
and the only civilized spot for miles around.
1t is ono vast plain there, uninhabitcd save by
n few wandering Indians and an occasional
prospector. 1t was there that 1 saw n rude
wooden cross, which had been brought there by
the Seri Indians of Tiburon, which they desired
Senior Encinas to take to the Governor of
Sonora at Hermosillo as a sign that the Indians
were DESTROYS OF making peace with the Mexi-
can Government. They havo fought the SOL
diers for years and have never been conquered.
They constitute the last vestige of unconQuered
savagery on this continent, so far as l am aware.
"Sehor Encinas gave mo a history Of tho
transaction whereby the Indians failed to secure
peace. He received tho cross from the dele
CATION OF Indians, and instead of taking It to
IN AAhipA JAM NV wv vi NhO
Indians action. The Governor. Gen. Corral,
sent a squad OF soldiers to the ranch house to
meet the Indians pursuant to an appointment
arranged by Senior Encinns.
THE Lieutenant in charge of the soldiers
met the Indians and a careful guard was kept
on both sides to prevent treachery. The In
dams were apparently as afraid of the soldiers
as the latter we're of the Seris. The Lieutenant
informed the chief of the Serbs. n 7-foot warrior
named FL Mudo THE Muto) that he had been
instructed To demand, as a preliminary 10 the
peace negotiations, the surrender of tho muir
derers Of Capt. Porter and tho sailor johnson.
He added that conclusive evidence had been
gathered to prove that the two white men had
been shot and killed on the beach on Tiburon
Island and their bodies were either burned or
eaten. The boat they sailed in, a sloop named
the World, had been broken up by tho Indians
and the valuables taken. The Mexican Gov
eminent now demanded the surrender OF the
ringleaders in this massacre or would regard
the whole tribe as guilty and punish them nc
cordlngly.
"El Mudo. so called for his reticence of speech,
consulted with his brethren and replied to the
Lieutenant that the demand could not be COM
piled with. Rather than give up any members
of their tribe to be shot they preferred to Eight
together to the bitter end. The upshot of the
conference was that the Indians returned with
great Indignation to the island and the soldiers
returned to Hermosillo. This was only n few
weeks ago. and the people down there have ever
since been in fear and trembling, expecting an
outbreak.
"As nearly as ! could learn from Sehor En-
cinas and others there are about $50 Serbs on
Tiburon. They are all savages of the most
bloodthirsty type. pra ctically animals with
Indian cunning. They have the most debased
| notion Of mOralitv mud ara not annarnnt1v
bothered about religion. So far MS anybody
could ever learn. they have no idea of q SUI.
premc being and worship nothing. They eat
their food raw. rending it like hogs, and at
night they all huddle together, lying across one
another in an effort to keep warm. Their hnts
are nothing more than rude lean-tos, generally
placed against n rock.
"The principal food of the Serbs is turtle and
fish. They are the equal of the South Sea Isl
anders in swimming and boating. Their rude
catamarans ride the boisterous waves Of the gull
like corks. and small steamers travelling in the
gulf have encountered a lonely Seri sometimes
seventy-ive miles from his island home. padding
along in search of turtle or fish. rhey are all
tall, powerful men. with hideous fat-nosed
mmoderately long. and their legs are gro
~tesquely slim for their heavy trunks. For this
on iSni p %s they a r"Si in az" thei n0 bo at c0G Ma ngn peo.
pie who have seen them believe them to be the
remnant of some savage Monaghan tribe that in
ancient times might have made its way across
the Pacific. The Indians that l have seen Ger.
tainly resemble a Monaghan more than an In
dian: have seen types of Tartars that greatly
resemblcd these Siris.
The only men these SIris seem to fGar arc
times used to live in Sonora. but are now found
mostly in central Arizona. Probably the Scri1
At any rate. the PopaSos inspire sTIiT i a dread among
them. Senior Encinas employs two or three
Papago Indians rs vaqucros on his ranch. They
l y rnntinlNnIlT n n tho nnlnn for Ithaca Sirip
and once or twice have killed a stray one or
two. When the delegation called at Encinas
cinas kept the Papaeo cowboys in sight, merely
as a reminder to the Serbs that they could have
''""TTThiHi s rancS house Of tfoSS ShoT Encinias is a veri,
table fort. lie has built a big adobe house. per.
hnps Aye feet thick; and surrounded it w'th a
s and there 4'1T for r' ridemen. Win - E t%"HiHT's" i %Sie
walls. sweeping the whole level country in ali
directions. 1t would take a strong, force to dis;
with this fortress-like house and are aware that
Eneinos Is constantly on bis guard: They
country round about is terrorizcd by them.
"Belween the mainland and Tihuron island
TT }aIs the . AH Ws1I HsmC del l II is n na or strait ait OF OF
water, running almost dry in the low tides. but
becoming a boiling, racing torrent as the, cnor-
can hear the roaring Of The water In this strait
for miles when the tide comes in. The ordi-
| mary Llub lutIt II ubpll lNFlllN plEhb lCOls
Sometimes there is a tide OF thirty.fVe feet,
which must rise and fall within twelve hours.
THE Serbs display some ingenuity in the max.
ing OF the bows and arrows. Tho bows are
made of IA sort OF %irOnwood that grows on the
island. 1t is tough and fbrous. and Is strength
eued by thongs OF turtle hide. The cord Is made
of sinewE of some kind. These bows are about
six feet long and 1t takes a strong man to bend
one. They arc n worry formidable weapon. The
arrows nro three and n half feet long, well
made, with IA sharp stone points always pol,
soned. The cowboys'At EncinAs's ranch told inc
tho Indians caused imprisoned rattlesnake5 70
bite n piece of fish or liver repeatedly, which
was then allowed to ~putrefy. In this mass the
tips OF The arrows were dipped, making n poison
so deadly In Its action that many men who had
braved other forms of death were ufraid to
tempt the Serbs TO wrath,
The same time, It Is not true that Tiburon
Island has never been traversOd by white men.
It Is a fact that the Indians meet every newcom.
er.and warn him not to attempt to land. and II
possible prevent him ny turning tho PROV OF
his bont back or attaching him with their bows
and arrows. But the people In Sonora told me
that u band of cowboys was formed a couple OF
years ago to explore tho island, and that they
.,,.a,nIgInl ,KIaf TINY Nynuf for Tiara Wei RS