New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
HABITS OF THE SERIS.
PRIMITIVE MEXICAN INDIANS WHO HAVE
NOT THE KNIFE INSTINCT"


Washington correspondence Of The Boston
Transcript.
The Seri Indians" said Professor w J. Ma
gee who has recently returned from an ethnc-
logical expedition into Mexico, ARE in the scale
of civilization a few degrees above the COCupah
Indians whom we set out to visit; they do ma Ise
Their own bows and arrows and boats and show
some cleverness in primitive navigating bat
they still lack the knife instinct"
This commentary called forth a question as 20
the meaning Of the knife instinct" The oIdi-
nary man in a civilized community the pTof.S-
sOr explained is so familiar with the knife and
ts purposes that its use has become practically
automatic. At the table he cuts his food with
ms knife without going through any conscious
mental process. Ii Is as natural for him 10
tIS as II IS 10 take his drink from cup or other
vessel f0r holding liquor. If h wishes to uIen i
package tied with twine in hard knot, or to
Whlttit hlt az suck. or 10 split apple into
TWO parts. down goes his hand instinctiVeIy into
his pocket for his knife. and he can be talking
or thinking about other things while he use,- M
knife for cutting.
Not so th@ Scri Indian if he obtains a knife
IN barter. he thrusts it into his belt M has
seen the Mexican frontlerSman do hut in =
Tu' anlncless way. II is "a matter Of imitat on
and not reasoning with him. for he has no idea
~ the common uses To which the Mexican puts
the knife II "A deer crossed his path while hIs
knife was in his girlIe and with The aid II his
dogs he were able to capture ami Kill it, II never
would occur 10 him tO his knife for cutting
W the carcass. He would tear il. like wild
beast II h. kills pony for food and hangs =
quarter near his door tu te eaten as needed he
Will bite INTO the meat ana pun II apart with
ms teeth ard nails. stripping the slnews and
t'uduns gradually till nothing but the bones are
left To cut the flesh away would be thu iaSt
thing L. occur to his mind, ana the most difficult
thing tuI him 10 accomplish. Civilized man.
with whom the knife habit pursued from carly
childhood. presently mrrges into instinct can
have no idea 90 What II means to he without
this rudImentary training. IL iS a. hard for MIN
to understand II y for a person who has
never been without the normal CompIemsnt Of
faculties I" understand the feeling Of one born
deaf and dumb and blind. The knife instinct
Is sort Of milestone on IN" road t. civilization
one OF the means by which We may measure
the progress "f any primitive people.
Speaking "f the condition Of the Seris
CARDS blood thirst, Professor Magee says that u
stin remains very deplOrahle. and the visitor
must Toe not only prepared hut VISiply prepared,
for trouble any hour Of the day night.
The one question on which the Sers' treatment
Of him hangs is that of opportunity IL makes
no difference whether he be Caucasian
mixed blood. a Yankee or a Mexican. or even L
member of another tribe of Indians, the sole
consideration is that he is alien, wherever
or whenever found. IL the alien is well equipped
with means Of protection. So thar il is plainly
ineXpedicnt 10 attack him boldly, he Will escape
trouble as long as his vigilance remains acute.
The night, which would naturally he consid-
cred the most dangerous time for the stranger.
really his safest time for by doing careful watch
duty Icy turns, a party Of visitors can avert at
tack. Eut in the daylight there is apt to he
a pcrIlouS sense 81 security, ana II Is then that
ii bchOOVcs every alien To be individually on his
guard. The Scris seem 20 have none of the
sense Of hospitality or honor which marks many
Indians OF a higher type. They have
notion of loyalty t. one another. but tht rest II
the world is always fair game.
Another thing diffcrcntiates the SeriS from the
Indians tribes COnVeutiuually familiar tu news
paper readers namely. their treatment ut Their
dead As far as Is known, they have mo- respect
for the bodies of their warriors leaving them
unbUri-d wherever they happen to fat, but the
funeral of a woman is an occasion for great
pomp ana Ger, nony. There may be some rela-
tiun between TINS and the fact that the SerIs.
like other Indians trace descent through the
maternal line. Indeed. in the Scri tongue. the
women have word sIgEIfying father though
they have for mother" Men only can speak cf
their fathers. The reason for tins dlstIh, ;IoD
is not manifest.