From the Opata comes their simpler designation, Seri, which may 

 be translated "spry." 



And the Seris indeed are spry. Both men and women are of 

 splendid physique, with fine chests and slender, sinewy limbs. They 

 are erect in carriage. Men and boys especially are notable for their 

 fleetness and endurance. Living from hand to mouth in a sterile 

 domain where agriculture is unheard of, they subsist chiefly on 

 marine life, but also take some land game. In season they make use 

 of mesquite beans, cactus fruits and other sparse vegetation. 



Nomadic for centuries, the Seris transport all their possessions 

 on their backs. There is no semblance of permanent abode. Should 

 the weather dictate, they may erect low, flimsy windbreaks of 

 desert brush called jacales. These are the domain of the women. 

 The Seris live under a sort of matriarchy. Each clan is headed by 

 an elder woman and consanguinity is recognized only in the female 

 line. Chieftains are chosen by blood, not might. 



Distinctive face painting is regarded as symbolic of Zoic tute- 

 laries, with sub-specific characteristics indicative of clan mem- 

 bership. While this form of personal adornment is suggestive of 

 practices in the Far East, the Seris are definitely Mongoloid in ap- 

 pearance. Isolated for unknown generations, the Seris failed to 

 develop great civilizations such as were known to the Mayas, Incas 

 and Aztecs. The Seris were discovered in 15 33 by the great Span- 

 ish explorer, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. So far as history dis- 

 closes, they have changed but little in more than four centuries. 

 Civilization has given them a little clothing and some vices, but this 

 tribe still holds itself proudly aloof and declines to mingle with 

 other blood. This exclusiveness for which the Seris are notable is 

 all the more remarkable because of the pronounced mingling of 

 races in the western Americas. Pure Indian stock is becoming more 

 and more rare. 



Many interesting peoples in remote lands have been photo- 

 graphed on expeditions of the Velero III because their characteris- 

 tics and mode of living invariably captivate educational groups. 

 They lend color and human interest to the more serious scientific 

 work of long voyages. From Lower California to the southern 

 limits of Peru, isolated communities have responded to good will 

 visits from the Velero 's personnel. 142 



