Somatically distinctive as is the Seri at rest, he (or she) is much
more so in motion—though the characteristics so readily caught by the
eye are not easily analyzed and described. Perhaps the most conspicuous
element in their walk is a peculiarly quick knee movement, bringing the
foot upward and forward at the end of the stride; this merges into an
equally quick thrust of the foot forward and downward, with toe well
advanced, toward the beginning of the next stride; and these motions
combine to produce a singular erectness and steadiness of carriage, the
body moving in a nearly direct line with a minimum of lateral swaying
or vertical oscillation, while the legs neither drag nor swing, but
spurn the ground in successive strokes. Thus the walk seems notably
easy and graceful, while the walker carries an air of alertness and
reserve power, as if able to stop short at any point of a pace or to
bolt forward or backward or sidewise with equal facility; he simulates
the “collected” animal whose feet tap the ground lightly and swiftly
while his body appears to yield freely to voluntary impulse. In this
deer-like or antelope-like movement all the Seri are much alike, and
all are decidedly removed from their neighbors, even the light-footed
Papago. The component motions are most conspicuous in leisurely
walking, though the resultant movement is more striking in rapid walk
or the incredibly swift run of youths and adults. The general movement
is akin to that shaped by the habit of carrying burdens balanced
on the head, as the Seri women actually carry their water ollas
for astonishing distances; but the carriage is shared—indeed, best
displayed—by the warriors and growing boys, who are not known to carry
water in this way.
Among the conspicuous but nondistinctive somatic characters of the Seri
is luxuriant straight hair, habitually worn long and loose. Commonly
the hair is jet-black for most of the length, growing tawny toward the
tips; sometimes it is black throughout, while again the tawny tinge,
or perhaps a bleached appearance, extends well toward the scalp.
Age-grayness seems not to be characteristic; the most aged matrons
known have no more than a few inconspicuous and scattered gray hairs,
though the pelage of some is slightly bleached or faded. None of the
warriors at Costa Rica showed the slightest grayness except Mashém
(aged about 50 years), who had a few gray strands about the temples;
but it maybe significant that the hair of the tribal outlaw Kolusio,
who has lived with white men for full three score years, is iron-gray.
Kolusio’s pelage is trimmed in Caucasian fashion; that of Mashém is
cut off mid-length in a manner exciting comment, if not derision, on
the part of his fellows and others, and resulting in his (Spanish)
sobriquet, Pelado (literally, Peeled, or idiomatically, Shorn); but
with few exceptions the hair is kept long as it can be made to grow,
and receives careful attention, to this end. Naturally the length
is somewhat variable; in many cases it depends to or slightly below
the waist, while in other cases it merely sweeps the shoulders; and
in general it appears to increase in both length and luxuriance not
only throughout adolescence, but up to late maturity, for the best
pelages are presented by moderately aged persons, while none of the
youths are so luxuriantly tressed as their elders. Not the slightest
trace of baldness appears. The infantile pelage is short, brownish in
color, soft or even silky, and inclined to curl toward the tips. It is
not until the age of several months that the hair begins to acquire
the adult character, and at least some children retain traces of the
infantile pilary character up to 5 or even 10 years; and none of the
children display such jet-black shock-heads as are frequently found
among other tribes, whose adult pelage may nevertheless be much less
luxuriant than that of the Seri. On the whole, it may be said that the
Seri hair is luxuriant and vigorous beyond the aboriginal average, and
that it, like various other somatic features, indicates a relatively
late maturation in the life-history of the individual.
Both sexes are beardless. The female faces seen were entirely free of
strong pilary growth; one or two of the warrior faces showed scattering
hairs, and Mashém sported a feeble and downy but jet-black mustache
with an exceptional number of scattered hairs about the chin; while
Kolusio shaved regularly, and might, apparently, have grown moderately
stiff but straggling mustaches and beard. Axillary hair seems to be
wanting; pubic hair is said to be scanty; otherwise the bodies are
practically hairless (more nearly so than those of average Caucasians).
The teeth are solid, close-set, and even, and impress the observer as
large; they close with the upper incisors projecting slightly beyond
the lower denture in the usual manner.
* * * * *
The skeletal characteristics of the Seri are known only from a single
specimen obtained in the course of the 1895 expedition in such
manner as to establish the identification beyond shadow of question.
This skeleton was submitted to Dr Aleš Hrdlička for measurement and
discussion.[242]
[242] A separate cranium was obtained by the 1895 expedition, having
been sought and picked up by a Mexican member of the party in
verification of his account of the killing of one of the Seri; but, in
view of the possibility of erroneous identification, this skull was not
submitted in connection with the complete skeleton. Subsequently this
specimen also was put in Dr Hrdlička’s hands (at his request), and was
kindly examined, with, the results recorded in the following letter: