The San Francisco call., 1899-03-05

When a Seri girl arrives at womanhood
she is made to sit at the end of a small
lane made of branches stuck in the
ground, while there is a feast and dance.
At the end of the dance the girl walks
through, the lane and is thus officially
proclaimed a woman and marriageable.
The bucks secure wives by trading skins,
weapons or other valuables for them, the
father of the girl getting all he can ana
the lover giving as little as possible.
The islanders have a stern code some
where in their jurisprudence, as was
shown some years ago when the Mexican
Government took steps to punish them
for the murder of a Mexican citizen. Woro
was sent that the murderers must De
surrendered Immediately to the mexican
authorities or the whole island Woulo De
cleaned out. The two chiefs, after vain
parleying, finally replied by sendlng TO
the Mexicans the heads and hands OF the
offending tribesmen. They explained that
it was needless to send in the whole pooy'
as the head would identify the murderer
and the hand would prove that no more
killing could be done by It,
A number of years ago the Seris killed
a Mexican woman, whom they had trleo
to capture alive. The whole country was
aroused, as this was a repeated oHehse:
Several Mexican girls had been aDducleo
by the Indians years before and Iorceo TO
live with their savage captors. The leader
of the avenging band of cowboys ana
ranchers was Ignacio Encinas, another son
of Don PascuaI. It was the boast Of this
band that they killed lbs Seris. men,
women and children. in that one days
hunt They pursued the Indians TO the
island, surprised them and shot them
down like animals. Ignacio Encinas, at
the head Of the troop. encountered
rather comely looking squaw, who was
said to be descended from Mexican
woman captured years before. Rumor
had 1t that Encinas was the father OF the
papoose she carried. At any rate, when
he strobe through the camp she fung the
child up before her. crying:
"Pityi Do not kill your own son!'
"What does a Seri know Of pity?"
shouted Encinas. "This Is the pity
will give you!'' and he slashed them down
with his machete.
Such incidents as these have had their
influence in preventing the pacification
Of the Seris and the opening Of the island
to exploration.
The bucks of the tribe are extremely
active and warlike. They like nothing
better than fighting so long as the ad-
vantage is on their side. They Will plot
and lie in wait for years in order to re-
venge themselves for wrongs real or
fancied. The vaqueros, rounding up their
cattle on the range, sometimes ride with
in sight of the island, but they are ex-
tremely cautious when approaching as
close as this They generally ride in
groups and keep a lively lookout against
surprise. The Seris have plan Of dig
ging little holes in the earth In which
they hide for hours and even days. The
eye glancing over the expanse of sandy
ground broken only by stunted brush sees
no sign of such ambuseades. The murder
of small bands of cowboys has made the
others very alert and watchful.
BY some manner, supposedly through
the murder of victims, the Seris have OBJ
tanned possession of a number of rifles.
They cannot get cartridges, however. and
are, therefore, reduced to the exercise Of
considerable ingenuity in providing am
munition. They make their own car
tridges by taking pieces of green raw
hide and molding them to the shape Of a
cartridge and filing 1t with powder and
lead, or with small pebble If lead is
not at hand. For percussion cap they