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Show Visit With Reputod CiNNIBlK V 1 r'E THOMPSON HOBttOBJ rTWh mrjyzj or munoN jlaitj) j Cnpt. F. B. Thompson of tho schooner schoon-er Khtrell has Just returned to San I'rnnclsco from a nine-months' cruise In tho Gulf of California. Ho made flvo landing on tho mysterious Island of Tlburon, met Chief Francisco, bond of tho Boris, at Froshwator bay, also tho chief s son, Ponchlto, nnd 15 mom-hers mom-hers of tho tribe, nt Pearl Point, set down in Duwoy's chart ns "Tho Inferno." In-ferno." CnptThon'ipson had with him eight Ynquls, who wore listed ns sailor-men. sailor-men. The sensational feature of Capt. Thompson's story Is that ho found tho Serls tho very opposlto of what they hnvo been customarily pninted. Instead In-stead of meeting canlbnls nnd desper-nto desper-nto characters, Capt. Thompson was welcomed to the Island under n Hag of truco, Bpent somo time in tho company of Chlof Francisco, and was Invited by the chief back Into tho Island two leagues, to visit grazing land on which are tho chief's herds of burros; but this invitation was declined. Ho found tho dreaded Serls hosplt-nbio, hosplt-nbio, well-meaning and kind-hearted, willing to do him any favor within their power. In return for gifts of beans, tobacco, matches and sugar, Chief FranclBco gavo Copt. Thompson n handsome bow and nrrow, and Pon-chlta Pon-chlta made a peace offering of a queer wooden crown, stained with rod and blue berry Juices. This friendly visit to Indians, conventionally con-ventionally wrltton about as head hunters, whose Island has long been as Jealously guarded from tho encroachments encroach-ments of tho white man ns has been tho Sacred City of L'Hassa, openB a new and startling chapter In tho story of Tlburon, says tho captain. Ho Is the first white man who has brought back a friondly roport from this won-dor won-dor Ulnnd In tho Gulf of Southren California. "My object In going to tho Gulf of California," Bald Capt. Thompson, "was to And phosphates. I wont by rail to Guaymas, and outfitted tho Kstroll there to mako tho nine months' cruise on tho gulf. I took olglit YaqulB as a crew, and never had tho slightest troublo with them. Thoy nro very hard-working men, nnd have prodigious strength as packers. Thoy think nothing noth-ing of wndlug through tho surf with 125-pound bags of phosphates on their backs, buffeted by waves that would mako an ordinary man Ioso his foot-lug. foot-lug. "Wo wont to Tlburon for wood and water, and In nil mndo 'Ave separato landings. I expected trouble, of course, but when I camo wlthlu hailing hail-ing dlstanco of Chief Francisco and Ills mon nt Freshwater bay, I rnn up a ling of truco a shirt on an oat- nnd ho replied by doing tho snmo. "The clilofs signal was handled by his son Ponchlto, who dlppod his rag twice, meaning that two of my men should come ashore for a talk. I went with ono of my Yaquls. "The chief spoko to mo In doggerel Spanish, asking for cigarettes, tobacco and marches, and I gnyo him some Mexican cigarettes, also Some corn, beans and sugar, and ho was .certainly much pleased. Ills son spoko In tho lingo of tho Sorts. I did not understand under-stand a word ho said, but we managed to got acquainted somohow, and after n llttlo while the chief lighted a pipe of peace. I took a whiff and ho grunted grunt-ed In frontier Spanish that wo would bo good friends. Of course, I was a bit suspicious, for an Indian mny be a good friend to-day nnd nn enemy tomorrowbut to-morrowbut I lot It go at that. "Tho chief showed us where to got water, and sont somo of his mon to help us cut wood. Ho told me I wns the first whlto man ho hod seen In sovernl years, and ho wns very friendly, friend-ly, Wo nto a supper of soa turtle, stayed there that day, and then went r il capr r.z. moms on mm am man casr mjweteco on to other points, where wo saw othor Serl Indians, but nono of them molested mo-lested us. In all, we made flvo sopnr-nto sopnr-nto landings, covering tho whole of the Island. In the courso of tho month we went clear around It. At Pearl Point I found a long sand bnr that Is literally paved with the famous fa-mous pearl oysters, and 1 have no doubt that thore is a vast fortuno nwalting somebody who Is willing to make the expedition. "The chlof's present of a bow nnd nrrow was a pleasant Incident. In turn I asked him what of our stores, naming nam-ing them ovor, would strlko his fancy. He speaks a sort of doggorcl frontier Spanish, and I mndo out, aftor somo reflection, Hint ho thought ho would like my shirt. I Immediately handed out tho present, In fact, I made It two, but ho refused tho second ono, saying, after long thought: 'I can wear only ono shirt nt a time' This shows his slmplo mind. I nm sure ho will nover waBh that shirt, but will wear It till it drops off or is torn to rags In tho brush. "The son took a fnncy to my hat, and, of courso, I at onco took It off, and gave It to him, nnd In turn ho presented me with n wooden crown, rather Ingonlously mado of strips of wood, coming together and fastoned with a detachable pin, with a knob at tho end. It Is ornamented with red and bluo stripes. 1 gravoly put on tho crown and Ponchlto seemed greatly pleased. "Wo hnd a hard time gotting the snapshot of the chief and his body, guard. They would not pose boforo 'tho camera, becauso thoy are terribly superstitious. They bollove that everything that belongs to them must go with them, nt death, and If any. thing that Is part of them gets away, there will bo terrible troublo in tho spirit world. In ordor to get the chief and tho men near him before the camera I pretended to lino them up to distribute cigarettes, and while my man was about to pass along with the cigarettes I snapped the shuttor "I do not know what would have happened to me lf I had been discovered discov-ered In tho act of taking this picture. It Is tho first photograph of this celebrated cele-brated chlof. Ho Is usually reported a cannibal, but my presence to-day In tho land of tho living Is sufficient proof to the contrary, "I saw many deer heads In tho chief's camp and a largo pair of mountain moun-tain goat horns. I would have taken tho goat's horns, but they looked too old and rusty. Tho nrrows presented by the chief nro boautltul pieces of native workmanship. Tho heads of Iron, carefully sharpened with pumlco stone. I saw thorn doing tho work, and it Is an endless Job. Tho head Is held in placo with pelican sinews, tightly wrapped. Tho upper part of the arrow Is of willow nnd tho lower part of bamboo, bound with pelican sinews. There nro small ornamental bands on tho arrow and ono of them looks as though It were put on with pitch. "Tho Serl Indians llvo largely on sea food, such as turtle, fish and sea lions. They have prodigious skill with spears and venture out on rough seas In dugouts, that are handled with ex trnordlnary skill. Tho Sorts swim like fish, and tholr oyeslght, In fishing and hunting, Is so keen that they can see almost as well, It struck mo, as a while man can with a marlno glass." Tho report brought back from Tlburon Tl-buron Island by Capt. Thompson Is at variance with tho traditional returns re-turns made by explorers and leadors of expeditions seeking gold or adventure. adven-ture. In tho past tho Sorts havo always al-ways been pictured as cannibals, rulod by a race of Amazons. Tlburon has boon classed as one of tho world's greatest geographical mysteries; mys-teries; and "tho raco Inhabiting this unknown Island has been unclassified by scientists. Some authorities have regarded tho Indians there ns "renegade "rene-gade Apaches;" other equally high authorities au-thorities havo regarded them as the "laBt of the Aztecs." This name Is common 5' ascribed to-day to the Sorl Indians of Tlburon. |