-1850-1.S96 90 



ascertained by extended inquiry). Kolusio also remembered '• giving 

 his liuigiiage" (a bold if not sacrilegious act, according to his view) to 

 two or three other pei'sons, (one ''not a Mexicano" thougli speaking 

 Spanish, none "Americano " ') ; but the first-iiientioned instance was the 

 one most deeply impressed on his mind. At this time (1896) he 

 retained a working knowledge of the Seri tongue, and was able to serve 

 satisfactorily as a Spanish-Seri interpreter; yet careful test showed that 

 he had forgotten numerous native terms, and sometimes inadvertently 

 substituted other Indian (Yaqui, Papago, and ])robably Opata) and 

 Spanish words; while he knew so little of the tribal customs and 

 beliefs that inquiries pertaining to them were too nearly fruitless to be 

 long ])ursued. Undoubtedly his knowledge of the Seri tongue was 

 fresher and fuller in 1852; but since he was practically isolated from 

 his tribe in early childhood, he probably never possessed much infor- 

 mation concerning the esoteric characters of his people. 



The next noteworthy scientific student of the Seri was Johann Oarl 

 Eduard Buschmann, who visited various Mexican tribes, but whose 

 knowledge of the Seri was wholly secondhand. Quoting Villa-Senor 

 and Arrecivita and other early writers, noting unfortunate passages Irom 

 Bartlett, and magnifying Miihlenpfordt's misapprehensions into posi- 

 tive error, he reduced knowledge of this and neighboring tribes to 

 chaos. The "Guaymas" were separated from the "Seris (oder Seres)", 

 and these (at least by implication) from the " Tiburones'', while the 

 "Piatos" were combined with the Seri, the traditional alliance with 

 the Apache was greatly overdrawn, and the "Heri oder ileris" and 

 the "Tepocas" were treated as distinct.' No new facts were adduced, 

 no use was made of local sources of information, and no notice was 

 taken of other than literary data. 



In 1857 the gigantic surveying enterijrise of Jecker & Co. was under- 

 taken, under a concession from the Government of Mexico, and the 

 scientific surveys were intrusted to a commission headed by El Oapi- 

 tan Carlos Stone (General Charles Pomeroy Stone, U.S.A.). The com- 

 mission headquartered at Guaymas, purchased vessels for the survey 

 of the coast, and began operations also in the interior; Bahia Pinacati 

 and George island (named by Hardy in 1826) were surveyed, as well 

 as the entire Sonoran coast south of Guaymas, and "one hundred miles 

 of coast near Tiburon", besides many hundred square miles of valuable 

 lands. At this stage friction developed between the progressive com- 

 mission and theconservative Sonorenses, which ended in the exjjulsion of 

 the scientific commission by the State government.' By reason of the 



' At the time of inquiry the importance of the other Tocahularies was not suspected, and the inter- 

 rogation was not pushed far enougli to permit ideutitication of tlie persons to whom they were given. 



■■*Die Spuren der aztekischen Sprache im nordlichen Mexico und hohereu amerikanischen Norden. 

 Zugleich eiue ilusterung der Viilker und Spracheu des nordlichen ilexicos und der Westseite Xord- 

 amerikas von Guadalaxara an bis zum Eisnieer. Von Joh. Carl Ed. Buschmaun (in Abhaudlnngen 

 der Kiiniglichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, aus dem Jabre 1854, zweiter Supplement- 

 Band) ; Berlin, IS.W, pp. 218-221 and elsewhere. 



^Arizona and Sonora. etc., by Sylvesti-r Mowry : JCew York, 1864 i>i). 98-102. 



