On Desert Shores

Hot, arid, and uninhabited, the western Midriff Islandslie in the Gulf of California, surrounded by an often treacheroussea. Given these conditions, why wouldancient people go there, and why would anybody go there today? Thomas Bowen addresses these questionsin the first comprehensive history of these islands. Bowen draws on a wide range of sources, includingthe first archaeological field work ever conducted on theislands, written accounts dating back to the sixteenth century, oral histories of native people, contemporary interviews,and his own firsthand experiences. Among thosecast in the islands' historical drama are the Seri (Comcaac)people of Sonora, the extinct CochimÍs of Baja California,Spanish explorers, Jesuit missionaries, pearl fishers, eggcollectors, guano miners, hydrographers, cartographers, small-scale Mexican fishermen, recreational anglers, writers,photographers, ecotourists, shipwreck victims, and,most importantly, scientists. The final chapter documentsthe impact of this human activity on the islands' ecosystemsand examines conservation efforts now underway.Compelling and richly illustrated, this broadly based workprovides a unique picture of these extraordinary islands.