98 THE SERI INDIANS [f.th.anx. it 



latter, when, on Januai-y 4, 1890, he was emploj^ed as an iutbrmaut. 

 He was then a tiue-lookiug man of noble stature and figure, and of nota- 

 bly dignified air and manner, dressed in conventional attire; his hair 

 was luxuriant, iron-gray in color, and trimmed in Mexican fashion. His 

 looks indicated an age of about 70, but in his own opinion (which was 

 corroborated by that of Senor Pascual Encinas and other old acquaint- 

 ances) he was at least To. His movements were vigorous, his eyes clear 

 and bright, his vision good, and, except for hardly perceptible imper- 

 fection of hearing, he was in full possession of normal faculties. He 

 was in the employ of the state as a trustworthy attache of the gover- 

 nor's palacio, where his services were nominal; his real function was 

 that of a Seri interpreter in case of need; and on the day specified 

 he was temporarily assigned to the service of the expedition by His 

 Excellency Governor Corral. By Mexican acquaintances he was com 

 monly called Fernando, though he called himself Kolusio, sometimes 

 using the former designation as a forename; he was also known as "El 

 General" (= Chief), or "El General de los Seris''. He had a vague 

 memory of Tiburon island, which he left in childhood (at about years 

 of age, according to his estimate) and had never revisited, though he 

 had been on the Seri border so late as 1870. Except when ti^mporarily 

 at Rancho San Francisco de Costa Rica, he had lived in Pueblo Seri, 

 usually reporting in Hermosillo daily for such duty as might be assigned 

 to him at the palacio. He was aware that he was regarded as a tribal 

 outlaw, and admitted that no consideration could induce him to approach 

 Seriland, since he would be slain by his tribesmen more eagerly than 

 any alien; indeed, he hardly dared venture so far westward as Molino 

 del Encinas, in the outskirts of Hermosillo, and only did so in daylight 

 or in company of others. His few kinsfolk in Pueblo Seri had died or 

 deserted so long before that he had forgotten names and dates; and, 

 as he remarked with half-realized pathos, he had been alone amid 

 aliens for very many years ("muy muchos auos"). The linguistic 

 inquiries put to him reminded him of previous interrogations of the 

 sort, and he voluntarily described the visit of a distinguisbed American 

 who, a long time ago (more than 40 years, he tiiought), came down fiom 

 Ures, with many books and papers, and spent New Year's day in 

 interrogating him about his language and his people. He was much 

 impressed with the ability displayed by the "Gringo muy grande'' in 

 writing the terms and afterward repronouncing them properly; and he 

 described the visitor as appearing very pale and sick ("muy palido y 

 malo"), and under the necessity of frequently resting and taking medi- 

 cine, and also as having wavy hair, worn so long as to hang down over 

 the neck and shoulders. He could not recall that he had ever heard 

 the American's name; but his description pointed clearly to Commis- 

 sioner Bartlett, who had risen from a sick-bed at Ures and was on his 

 way to Guaymas to get the benefit of a sea voyage, and who wore his 

 hair long during a part or all of his expedition (as was subsequently 



