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
The Kino map of 1702 gradually came to be recognized as trustworthy in
important particulars, and brought to an end the baseless extension
northward of the gulf; yet it was seriously inaccurate in details,
particularly those affected by the erroneous identification of the
second-largest island in the gulf with the largest. Accordingly Isla
Santa Inez (the modern Isla Angel de la Guarda) is omitted from its
proper position, and replaced by “I. S. August” close to the eastern
coast; yet the land-mass of Tiburon is roughly defined as a peninsula
bounded on the north by “Portus S. Sabina” (Bahia Tepopa) and on the
south by “Baya S. Ioa. Bapt.” (Bahias Kunkaak and Kino). Two other
considerable islands are represented as dividing the width of the bay
west-southwest of “I. S. August”, and are named “2. Saltz-Insel”;
although evidently traditional, their positions correspond roughly with
those of San Esteban and San Lorenzo. The map locates the “Topokis”
between Rio San Ignacio and Rio Sonora, with the “Guaimas” immediately
below the latter.[66] Kino’s three pier-like islands bridging the gulf
were adopted in Delisle’s map of America, published in Amsterdam by
Jean Cóvens and Corneille Mortier about 1722, in greatly reduced size,
though larger islands are shown farther northward; and an ill-defined
peninsula corresponding to Tiburon is retained.[67] The D’Anville map
of 1746 embodies Kino’s discoveries about the head of the gulf and
retains his pier-like islands, yet not only corrects his error in
omitting the second greatest island of the gulf, but perpetuates equal
error in the opposite direction: “I. de S. Vicente” is made the largest
of the islands and located near the western coast a little below the
mouth of Rio San Ignacio, while “I. de Sta. Inés” is made second
largest and is located southeast of it and near the eastern coast. The
third island in size is named “Seris”, while the fourth and fifth,
completing the Kino trio, are called “Is. de Sal”, and the mainland
projection remains defined on the south by “B. de S. Juan”.[68] The
Vaugondy map of 1750 locates the transverse trio of islands in greatly
reduced size, and omits the larger islands of the gulf.[69] The
islands, etc., of the Covens and Mortier map of 1757 correspond closely
with D’Anville’s map of 1746, and a nameless bay defines a peninsula in
the position of Tiburon.[70] The Pownall map of 1783 also follows that
of D’Anville so far as the islands are concerned, though the position
of that corresponding to the present Angel de la Guarda lies beyond the
limit of the sheet; “I. de Inez” lies some distance below the mouth of
“Sta. Madalena” river, off the territory of the “Sobas” and “Seris”;
“Seris I.” is smaller, the two “Sall Is.” are smaller still, and there
is an ill-defined projection of the mainland, bounded on the south by
“B. de S. Juan”.[71]
[66] Map in Stocklein, op. cit.
[67] Carte d’Amerique, etc. (American maps, loc. cit., 20.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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