MCGKE] THE ROBINSON EPISODE ISOl 119 



tlien killed him with stones. This iiiixtitied account, also, Senor Enciuas dnly con- 

 veyed to nie. 



Still later, in collectiu};; linguistic mateiial through the Seri interpreter with the 

 assistance of Senor Alveniar- Leon, I recurred to the subject incidentally (or at least 

 ostensibly so) on two or three occasions, partly with the view of verifying or dis- 

 proving the current report that the men were eaten by the Indians; and since the 

 first distrust on the part of the interpreter and the companions (by whom he was 

 commonly surrounded) had worn ofif, the questions were answered freely and with 

 appai-eut truth. In brief, the information gained in this way was a repetition in 

 general terms of the statement of the killing of both men; but the responses indi- 

 cated (1) that the Indians are not cauniiials, (2) that they do not eat any jiortiou or 

 portions of the body of an enemy slain in war, (3) that they do not eat humau llesh in a 

 sacrificial way, and (4), specitically, that they did not eat the flesh of the two white 

 men killed last spring. I am disposed to give credence to all of these statements. 



Sefior Encinas informed me that for a long time after the reputed killing of the 

 two Americans on tlie island the Seri were exceptionally shy and were seldom seen 

 on the mainland; that tlie Hrst representatives of the tribe to appear were one or 

 two old women who came to his rancho with much trepidation; that these rejjre- 

 scntatives being not ill-treated, a man appeared, who was also well treated, and 

 that still later other members of the tribe appeared, though it was only a few days 

 before our visit that any considerable body of the Seri Indians showed themselves 

 at their favorite mainland haunt on his rancho. It was his first communication 

 with the Indians since the killing, and, both he and they agreed, the first confession 

 of the crime ontsidi^ of their own tribe. 



While in Sonora various conflicting accounts of the affair were given me. One, to 

 which I was disposed to attach credence by reason of the character of my informant 

 and his explanation of the circumstances under which the information was gained, 

 was given me (just before the visit referred to above) by ex- Consul Forbes, ofGuayiuas. 

 This account corresponds in all essential details with that conveyed to my party by 

 the Indians, except that, according to Mr Forbes' account, the survivors were alto- 

 gether unarmed after the borrowing of the rifle by the Indians, and that when the 

 man in the boat arose suddenly and shouted he ])ointed at the Indians not a gun liut 

 a stick, in the hojie of deceiving them thereby, as he was fortunate enough to do. 



It may be added that the Seri Indians are at the same time themost primitive and 

 the most bloodthirsty and treacherous of the Indians of North America, so far as my 

 knowledge extends; also that their character is well known throughout Sonora, and 

 indeed generally throughout Mexico, Arizona, and the southern part of California. 

 I was assured by the acting governor of Sonora and by the prefect of Hermosillo that 

 it would be little short of suicide for even a Mexican official to visit these Indians 

 or laud on their island without an armed guard. Through conference with the 

 Indians, also, I learned that any white man, Jlexi<an, or Indian of another tribe com- 

 ing in contact with them is killed without the slightest compunction, unless they 

 are restrained by fear. Accordingly I am satisfied that the character of the Seri 

 Indians is quite as bad as the unsavory reputation they have acixuired throughout 

 the Southwest. 



It should be observed that while the Indians were unable to give the names of the 

 men killed, their description of men and vessel agreed exactly with those of the 

 newspaper correspondent Robinson and his companion, and with the sloop Examiner; 

 and Mr Forbes' information was obtained direct from the survivors of the expedition 

 of which Mr Robinson had charge. There can thus be no doubt that it was Mr 

 Robinson and his companion who were killed by these Indians, and whose killing 

 was confessed by them, as set forth above. 



With great respect, your obedient servant, 



W J McGee, 



Ethnologist in charge. 

 Honorable S. P. Langlev, 



Secretary of ike Smithsuiiiun Inntiliition. 



