The Seri Indians. (1898 N 17 / 1895-1896 (pages 1-344*))McGee, W J
History
The Seri Indians. (1898 N 17 / 1895-1896 (pages 1-344*))
McGee, W J
Seri Indians; Seri language; Yuman languages
Disapproving of this undignified and inhuman crusade, the acting
governor, General Francisco Ponce de Leon, planned a still more
vigorous campaign by land and sea for the purpose of capturing the
entire tribe and transporting them to Pueblo Seri, where a few of
their kin were still harbored.[154] The command was intrusted to
Colonel Francisco Andrade, who took personal charge of the land force,
including 160 infantry from Guaymas, 60 infantry and 30 cavalry from
Hermosillo, and considerable corps from Horcasitas and Altar. The
naval auxiliary, in charge of Don Tomás Espence,[155] pilot, comprised
a schooner of 12 tons; two launches, one carrying a 4-pound cannon
and the other a 2-pound falconet; and one rowboat. On August 11,
1844, Espence sailed from Guaymas, and six days later cast anchor at
the embarcadero (apparently a convenient place on the coast of Bahia
Kino due west of Pozo Escalante—the Embarcadero Andrade of figure 1)
opposite Tiburon. Andrade marched from Hermosillo August 13, reached
Carrizal August 16, and had detachments at the coast to meet the
squadron the next day. Both the vessels and this detachment were out of
water, and next morning Espence, taking a few soldiers and an Indian
guide, made his way to Tiburon in search of springs; but “on arriving
it turned out that the Indian had deceived the party or did not wish
to reveal the water.” Nevertheless they landed, and Espence hoisted
the Mexican flag, “taking possession of the island in the name of the
Mexican Government, as the first civilized person to touch the soil.”
Afterward he divided his force, and he and the sailors wandered far,
spending the entire day in vain search for water. Toward evening he
“made the men wade into the sea up to their necks, and in this manner
mitigated somewhat their burning thirst.” Meantime the soldiers had
traveled inland some 6 or 8 miles, and found water at the head of an
arroyo (apparently a temporary tinaja west of Punta Narragansett),
but it was surrounded by Indians, who at once gave battle. Such was
their thirst that the soldiers held their ground, drinking one at a
time under the protection of their comrades. At length they killed
two chiefs (one of whom wore a jacket taken from one Hijar, robbed on
the Cienega road a few days before), and succeeded in withdrawing to
a small eminence and sheltering themselves behind a rock. Later they
effected a retreat without loss, and of course without water, so that
they arrived at the shore even thirstier than the sailors. Making their
way back to the mainland during the night, the party were relieved
the following day by mule-loads of water sent over from Carrizal. On
August 20 Colonel Andrade marched to the coast with most of his force,
leaving a detachment to guard the route; and the next day Espence
transported to the island 125 troops, 16 horses, and some mules and
cattle, without other accident than the drowning of a mule and a
steer “by the strength of the current”.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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