The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-20
HABITS OF THE SERIs.
Primitive Mexican Indians who
Have Not the ssknffe Instinct"

Primitive Mexican Indians who
Have Not the knife Instinct"
Washington correspondence of the Bos-
ton Transcript.
1.-THE Seri Indians" said Prof. W. J.
Magee, who has recently returned from
an chronological expedition into Mexico,
ARE in the scale of civilization a few
degrees above the -Gocopah Indians whom
we set out to visit; they do make their
own bows and arrows and boats, and
show some cleverness in primitive nav
igating, but they still lack the knife in
stinct''
This commentary called forth a Ques-
ton as to the meaning of the knife in
stinct." The ordinary man in a civilized
community, the professor explained, is so
familiar with the knife and its purposes
that it's use has become practically au-
tomato. At the table he cuts his food
with his knife without going through any
conscious mental process. 1t is as nat
ural for him to do this as it is to take
his drink from cup or other vessel for
holding liquor. If he wishes to open a
package tied with Irvine in a hard knot,
or to white a bit of stick, or to split
an apple into two parts, down goes his
hand instinctively into his pocket for his
knife and he can be talking or think
ing about other things while he uses the
knife for cutting.
Not so the Seri Indian, if he obtains
knife in barter, he thrusts it into his
belt as he has seen the Mexican from
tiersman do, but in a meaningless way.
1t is a matter of imitation and not rea-
soning with him, for he has no idea Of
the common uses to which the Mexican
puts the knife. If a deer crossed his
path while his knife was in his girdle,
and with the aid of his dogs he were
oh 10 nd Hi r. UyODlG
occur to him to use his knife for cutting
up the carcass He would tear it, like
a wild beast. If he kills a pony for food,
and hangs a quarter near his door to be
eaten as needed, he will bite into the
meat and pull it apart with his teeth and
nails, stripping the sinews and tendons
gradually till nothing but the bones are
left. To cut the flesh away would be the
last thing to occur to his mind, and the
most difficult thing for him to accom-
pifsh. Civilized man, with whom the
knife habit, pursued from early child
hood, presently merges into instinct, can
have no idea of what it means to be with
out this rudimentary training. 1t IS as
hard for him to understand as it is for
a person who has never been without the
normal complement of faculties to under
stand the feeling of one born deaf and
dumb and blind. The knife instinct is a
sort of milestone on the road to civiliza
tion-one of the means by which we may
measure the progress Of any primitive
people
Speaking Of the condition of the Serbs
as regards blood thirst, Prof. Magee says
that 1t still remains very deplorable, and
the visitor must be not only prepared,
but visibly prepared. for trouble at any
hour OF the day or night The one que.
ton On which the Serfs' treatment Of
him hinges is that Of opportunity It
makes no difference whether he be a
Caucasian or mixed blood, Yankee
or Mexican, or even a member of an
other tribe of Indians; the sole consider
alton is that he is an alien, wherever or
whenever found. If the alien is Well
equipped with means of protection, 50
that it is plainly inexpedient to attack
him bodily, he will escape trouble as long
as his vigilance remains acute. The
night, which would naturally be consid-
cred the most dangerous time for the
stranger, is really his safest time, for by
doing careful watch duty by turns, a
party of visitors can avert attack. But
in the daylight there is apt to be a peril
Gus sense of security, and it Is then that
it behooves every alien to be individually
on his guard. The Seris seem to have
none of the sense of hospitality or honor
| which marks many Indians of a hig her
type They have some notion to loyalty
to one another, but the rest of the world
is always fair game.
Another thing differentiates the Serbs
| from the Indian tribes conventionaIly IA
miliar to newspaper readers, namely
their treatment of their dead AS far as
| is known, they have no respect for the
bodies of their warriors, leaving them UNI
buried wherever they happen to fall; but
| thsfuneral OF a woman is an occasion for
| great pomp and ceremony. There may
| be some relation between this and the
] fact that the Serbs. like other Indians,
| trace descent through the maternal line
| Indeed, in the Seri tongue, the women
! have no word signifying Gather" though
they have for mother" Men only can
! speak of their fathers. The reason for
! this distinction is not manifest.