MCGKE) THE JESUIT KEOORUS 1701-170!) 67 



SoTioia and acquainted himself in exceptional de.ureo with the neophytes 

 and their wilder kindred. About the l)ej;inning' of 1701 he crossed with 

 great danger ("pase con graiide i)eligro") from Loreto to the eastern 

 coast, and, accompanied by two " Indios Guaymas, caciques,'' proceeded 

 among the Sonoran settlements.' On February 18 he was at the new 

 town of Magdalena (de Tepoca), " where, with great labor, Padre 

 Melchor Bartiromo had gathered more than a hundred souls of the 

 maritime nation of Tepocas", and where the visitors were accorded an 

 enthusiastic reception. He went on to say: 



It IS notable that where the Tepocas and Salineros ate located the soa is populous 

 with islands [mny poblado de islas], and the first of these toward the coast con- 

 tains foot-l'olk [jj;ente de a pic], who live on it. Then there are two islands nniidi 

 nearer the mainland of California, and it is said that they [the Tepoka] are able to 

 navigate in their baninillas [balsas] to the adjacent coast; and the ixissession of 

 these Tepocas, who are all Scris Ijy nation, of certain words of the Cuchimies of 

 [Lower] California, who occupy the opposite coast, indicates that tlioy have coni- 

 mnuicated in other times. - 



This record is especially significant as indicating the affinity between 

 the Seri and the Tepi)ka, as establishing the transnavigation of the 

 Gulf by the Seri craft, and as explaining the i)0ssil)le passage of loan 

 words from the Cochimi to the Seri, and presumptively from the Seri 

 to the Cochimi. 



A notable visitor to the shores of Seriland was Padre Juan Maria Sal- 

 vatierra, who had previously "made a peace betwixt the Seris (!ris- 

 tians, and the Pimas", soon violated by the former " in the mur 

 der of 40 Pimas". In August, 1709, he essayed the recovery of a vessel 

 wrecked "on the barren coast of the Seris", which these Indians were 

 engaged in looting and breaking up for the nails; and, b.v dint of his 

 " persuasive elocution . . . not a little forwarded by tlie respect- 

 able sweetness of his air", aided by timely explosions of the bark's 

 l)atcraroes (mortars), ho induced restitution, the restoiation of peace, 

 and the reinstatement of several of the robbing and murdering Seri as 

 <'ommunicauts.'' Padre Salvatierra ob.served the distinctive character 

 of the Seri tongue, but made no extended exploration of Seriland, 

 either coastwise or interior. 



The next noteworthy visitor was Padre Juan de Ugarte, who, at the 

 instance of Salvatieria, undertook au exi)loration of the gulf coast 

 complementary to Kiuo's land explorations about its northern terminus. 

 Dgarte was the Elerciiles of Baja California history; he awed the 

 natives by slaying a California, lion, unarmed save with stones, and 

 enforced orderly attention to his catechizing by seizing an obstrei)cr- 

 ous chanii)ion by the hair, lifting him at arm's length, and shaking him 

 into submission; and under incredible difticulties due to absence of 

 material and distance of timber, he built the first vessel ever con- 



' Docuiiientos para la llistoria du Mexico, cnarta H<:rio, tomo V; MrxIco, 1857, pp. 125-120. 



» Ibid., II. 132. 



» Vencgas, A. Natural anil Civil nistmy of California, vol. I. pp. 405-411. 



