The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-10

The bureau OF ethnoIocy. about three
months hence, viii publish "A book on the
Sar Indians % Tiburou Island IN the
gat OF California, who have become IA
nous by reason OF their extraordinary
fer0C.y, and also because they are the
most primitive savaFes IN North America.
having not yet advanced as far as the
Stone AGE
'Oue OF the most remarkable things
about she Serl," said Prof W. J. Niece
o. the bureau OF cJhuo,ogy. yesterday. els
tha, they seem 20 keep on growing all
their lives. Whether this be iu truth the
case or not. I am very sure that they
continue 20 Increase in stature until after
they are forty years % age-certaiuly a
very Extraordinary phenomenon from ii
pay Biological point OF view. They have
long been reputcd giants. and for this
idea there is some ground, inasmGch as
the men average six feet On height and
the women nearly II not quite 1--WE feet
nine inches. For the reason that I have
mentioned, an OF the younger men and
women appear 10 fall below this mean,
while all Of the older ones are above 10.
There are no fat people among the
Ser, and IN respect 10 physical vigor they
are extraordinary. OF erect vet easy car
rage. great breadth and depth of chest,
very slender Of limb, and possessing UNI
usually large feet and hands. they exhibit
bodily activity such as can hardly be
eqga!ed by any other people on the face
OF the earth. The skin OF their feet and
lower legs Is so hard and caIloused as to
resemble the hide Of q horse or camel, 50
that they are able 10 run through cactus
thiCkets so thOTHy as TO stop horses and
dogs, or over beds OF stones so sharp that
the very coyote avoids the trail.
Don't Use Cutting Tools.
lone Of the strangest things about
these savaEes IS that they seem TO have
no knife sense. as one might call it. In
other words, they never think of using
cutting tool under any circumstances. If
they capture an animal and Kill it. they
do not cut it into pieces but prefer TO
tear IL 20 fragments with their hands and
teeth, breaking the larger bones perhaps
with q stone. I have known them 10 adopt
this method with a horse throwing the
brute so as 20 break its neck, and then
setting upon the carcass literally with
tooth and nail. 4 leg OF a COW will fur
nish a family with food for some days.
and when anybody happens to be hungry
he takes chew at II, tearing of the flesh
just as any wild animal might do
The Seri have always kept themselves
aloof from other tribes; they have an
hereditary hate and horror of aliens.
From their viewpoint the shedding Of
alien blood IS the most yirtuous OF &C
tIons. while the blacklist crime they know
IS the transmission Of their own blood
into alien channels. They consider it as
much a matter Of course 20 kill a strang-
or as the white man does TO destroy a
snake. Isolated TO an extent unparaliel-
ed they are homeless wanderers, rowing
from place 10 place and sleeping wherever
exhaustion overtakes them. Carrying
their entire stock Of personal belongings
with them, as well as food and water,
they are perpetual fugitives.
They regard the neighboring territory
on the mainland as a part Of their own
domain. and there they have been I'm
conflict fer many years with ranchmen.
When they surround and capture horses
or kline. they never think Of mounting
the beasts, even when pursued, or IF US
Ing ropes, but Immediately break the
neck and knock out the brains of the
animal, perchance 20 tear the writing
body into quarters and fee. Scores Of
vaqueros agree In the assertion (who.ly
Witnesses that the robber Scri skim the
sand wastes Of the desert more rapidly
than avenginE horsemen can follow them.
Capture Animals Alive.
THE Seri boys GO out after Jack rab-
bis in thTecs and fOUTs. and catch them
ny outrunung them. When a rabbit IS
started they scatter, one following il
slowly, while the others set off obliqualy
in such a manner as TO head II off ard
keep il in a Zig-Zag course until IL tires.
Then they close in and finally grab the
animal by hand. frequently bringing II in
alive 10 prove that it was fairly caught. |
For among these aborigines it is deemed |
discreditable 10 take game animals with
out giving them a chance for escape or
defense They capture deer also by run
ming. scattering at sight of the quarry.
gradually surrounding II. bewildering it |
by confronting Il at all points, and at
length closing in and Selling il with their
hands
Don Manuel Encinas, son OF the owner
Or a ranch where l stayed when in that
country, was endeavoring on one occasion |
% induce a Seri man, who was a famous
hunter. 10 do some work for him There
was peace for the time being. and a band |
Of the saVages was sOjourning tempOrar-
lily near the ranch II was a hot after
noon. and the fellow begged release from
HIS task saving that the spiri; Of catching
a deer had taken hold OF him. He was
excused on condition that the deer be
brought entire TO the ranch. and two hours
later he was seen driving in full-groWn
buck. on approaching the dwelling quar-
tiers the terrified animal turned this way
and that In wild efforts TO avoid human
habltatOn; Yet The hunter kept IL under
control. heading ID off al every turn and
gradually working il nearer. until nj a
sudden turn he was able to rush upon il
and catch IT, Throwing il over his Shout
Ger. he ran into the ranch house. with the
beast still struggling and kicking.
Are Reputed CannibaIs.
'Tr another instance OF which senior
Enc,nas informed me. a SerI caught a
horse .n a Stiu more expeditions fashion
The animal, which belonged 10 the ranch. |
Was offered 10 the band on condition tina.
a single one 81 the Indians should eaten
10 within a fixed distance about 2o0 yards
from the gateway OF the corral The Offcr
was promptly accepted, and 20 make the
test Of fettuess fair'one. a ya4uero was
called ia 10 brighten the horse and start
him 10 running around the interior Of the
CORA. while boy stood by 10 drop the
bars az the proper moment When the an
imdl had gained lis best speed. the bars
were dropped and /, bolted for the open
plain bur before the 2oo-yard limit was
reached the hunter had Over,aken lt.
lalpc5 upon It's W.thers. caught il by the
Jaw. in one hand and the forelock in the
o.her. and thereby thrown {; ia such a
manner as 90 break !,s neck.
Early one morning Senior EnCinas and
some attendants left the ranch for the
town % HermoslI!o leaving behind. among
Others, a Seri ma,ron with a sick child
nearly a year old In the evening the
child rot worse. and the woman being
alarmed about IT'S condition. took the trail
OF The absenreeS about dusk IN the hope
q getting. medicine from the senior. At
dawn next morning she was az Molno
del Euc!Uas, f1rty-hve miles away. with
F-F .E"fF ma Z rA4ae HNarfptF 10 . a e-4-.4