96 THE SERI INDIANS [eiuann.17 



warranted by coiucident historical records and statements of coutem- 

 poraries still living, to the effect (1) that an official interpreter was 

 there then and for a long time later, (2) that neither then nor later 

 were there other Seri representatives able to fnrnish vocabularies at 

 Hermosillo, Pueblo Seri, or other towns, and (3) that at that time (as at 

 most others) the relations between the Seri and the whites were such as 

 to prevent amicablecoinmunication through casual meeting or otherwise. 

 Proceeding with his discussion, Seiior Eamirez sought to correct the 

 allegation of Abbe Hervas that "in the mission of Eeleu live three 

 nations, called Hiaqui, Seri, and Guaima, who speak three different lan- 

 guages.^^ After quoting a Jesuit manuscri])t of July, 1730, reporting 

 that '-tlie language of the Seris is the same as that of the Guaimas", 

 be added a significant statement contained in a manuscript report from 

 the Bishoj) of Sonora, directed to Don Josi' de Galvez, under date of 

 September 20, 1784, concerning the mission of Belen : "Two nations 

 of Indians, Pimas Bajos and Guaimas, live united, the latter having 

 abandoned their pueblo under the continuous assaults of the Seris. 

 The Pimas use tlieir own language. . . . Tlie Guaimas use their 

 ancient language." Summarizing the evidence (of course secondhand 

 and derived from the observations and reports of the missionaries), 

 Seilor Ramirez held as ])roved, first, "the existence of two diverse 

 languages at the mission of Belen — that of the Guaimas and that of 

 the Pimas Bajos''; and second, that "the Guaimas and the Seri are 

 the same".' It would appear that Seiior Ramirez hardly appreciated 

 the significance of the statement of sixty-four years before that the 

 Guayma were still using their " ancient" language, with the implic:ition 

 that they were acquiring familiarity with the Piman tongue— a famili- 

 arity that may well have misled later inquirers. 



It is just to say that scientific knowledge of the Seri began with the 

 visit to Hermosillo of United States Boundary Commissioner John 

 Russell Bartlett, on December 31, 18.51. True, Commissioner Bartlett 

 approached no nearer Serilaud than Hermosillo and Guaymas, and saw 

 but a single Seri; yet he obtained an excellent vocabulary and consid- 

 erable collateral information from this Indian. According to this 

 information — 



The C'eris tribe of Indians, with tlie exception of those whicli are christianized 

 and reside in the village near HermoBillo, occupy the island of Tiburon in the 

 Gulf of California, north of Guaymas. Although believed not to number over 100 

 warriors, they have long been the dread of the Mexicans between Guaymas and 

 Hermosillo, as well as the country to the north, on account of their continual 

 depredations and murders. Their practice is to lie in wait near the traveled roads, 

 and there surprise small and unprotected parties. Their place of abode being on 

 an island or the shores .idiaceut, and their svibsistence being chicHy gained by fish- 

 ing, they have no desire to steal animals, wliich would be of no use to them; nor do 

 they take any prisoners. To murder and plnnder small parties of Mexicans seems 



'Lenguas Primitivaa, in Boletin del lustituto Naciimal ile Geografiu >' Estadisticji de la Republica 

 Mexicaiia, third edition, toiuu n; Mexico. 1861. pp. 148-149. 



