ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT XLIII 



the shore. All hope of the return of boat had been aban- 

 doned, and when it finally appeared the party were collecting 

 driftwood and branches of the palo bianco — a tree orowing' 

 sparsely on the mountains in the interior of the island — to 

 build a raft, while one of the party was engaged in making 

 the necessary ropes from pi-ovision bags and clothing. 



On the reassembling of the party the original plans were 

 resumed; the leader visited a score or more of Seri house 

 bowers or raneherias, only to find them abandoned (though 

 some bore evidence of occupancy within a few hours), while 

 Mr Johnson continued the topographic surveys. By this time 

 the food supplies were practically exhausted, but Avere eked 

 out by collecting oysters, clams, and crabs, and by a shark 

 taken on the next to the last day of the stay on the island; 

 and, as before, most of the energies of the party were expended 

 in carrying water from 4 to 15 miles, for which purpose squads 

 of five or more heavily armed men were requisite, since the 

 danger of ambusli was considerable and constant. By these 

 journeys over the jagged rocks, in which Tiburon island 

 abounds, the shoes of the white men and the sandals of the 

 Indians were worn out; and this condition finally compelled 

 the abandonment of further eftort to come into communication 

 with the wary Indians. Considerable collections representing 

 their crude arts, domestic and maritime, were, however, made 

 in their freshly abandoned raneherias, and a fine balsa, or 

 canoe-raft made of canes, was obtained. 



After some delay and danger the strait was recrossed, and 

 the party found themselves on the mainland, still beset by 

 storms, without food or water, reduced by arduous labor and 

 insufficient food, and practically barefoot in a region abound- 

 ing in thorns and spines and jagged rocks. Moreover, they 

 were still constantly under the eyes of Seri warriors watching 

 from a distance and awaiting opportunity foi- attack. After 

 fully considering the situation, the leader left the .party and 

 the boat in charge of Mr Johnson and skirted the coast on foot 

 for 25 miles to the rendezvous on Kino bay in the hope of 

 reaching the teamster from the rancho with supplies on the 

 last day of his stay there under the instructions given him by 



