the zincali-第13章

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Spanish　laws；　and　can　only　be　accounted　for　by　the　motives　above　



detailed。







The　Gitanerias　were　soon　considered　as　public　nuisances；　on　which　



account　the　Gitanos　were　forbidden　to　live　together　in　particular　



parts　of　the　town；　to　hold　meetings；　and　even　to　intermarry　with　



each　other；　yet　it　does　not　appear　that　the　Gitanerias　were　ever　



suppressed　by　the　arm　of　the　law；　as　many　still　exist　where　these　



singular　beings　'marry　and　are　given　in　marriage；'　and　meet　



together　to　discuss　their　affairs；　which；　in　their　opinion；　never　



flourish　unless　those　of　their　fellow…creatures　suffer。　　So　much　



for　the　Gitanerias；　or　Gypsy　colonies　in　the　towns　of　Spain。















CHAPTER　V















'LOS　Gitanos　son　muy　malos！　…　the　Gypsies　are　very　bad　people；'　



said　the　Spaniards　of　old　times。　　They　are　cheats；　they　are　



highwaymen；　they　practise　sorcery；　and；　lest　the　catalogue　of　their　



offences　should　be　incomplete；　a　formal　charge　of　cannibalism　was　



brought　against　them。　　Cheats　they　have　always　been；　and　



highwaymen；　and　if　not　sorcerers；　they　have　always　done　their　best　



to　merit　that　appellation；　by　arrogating　to　themselves　supernatural　



powers；　but　that　they　were　addicted　to　cannibalism　is　a　matter　not　



so　easily　proved。







Their　principal　accuser　was　Don　Juan　de　Quinones；　who；　in　the　work　



from　which　we　have　already　had　occasion　to　quote；　gives　several　



anecdotes　illustrative　of　their　cannibal　propensities。　　Most　of　



these　anecdotes；　however；　are　so　highly　absurd；　that　none　but　the　



very　credulous　could　ever　have　vouchsafed　them　the　slightest　



credit。　　This　author　is　particularly　fond　of　speaking　of　a　certain　



juez；　or　judge；　called　Don　Martin　Fajardo；　who　seems　to　have　been　



an　arrant　Gypsy…hunter；　and　was　probably　a　member　of　the　ancient　



family　of　the　Fajardos；　which　still　flourishes　in　Estremadura；　and　



with　individuals　of　which　we　are　acquainted。　　So　it　came　to　pass　



that　this　personage　was；　in　the　year　1629；　at　Jaraicejo；　in　



Estremadura；　or；　as　it　is　written　in　the　little　book　in　question；　



Zaraizejo；　in　the　capacity　of　judge；　a　zealous　one　he　undoubtedly　



was。







A　very　strange　place　is　this　same　Jaraicejo；　a　small　ruinous　town　



or　village；　situated　on　a　rising　ground；　with　a　very　wild　country　



all　about　it。　　The　road　from　Badajoz　to　Madrid　passes　through　it；　



and　about　two　leagues　distant；　in　the　direction　of　Madrid；　is　the　



famous　mountain　pass　of　Mirabete；　from　the　top　of　which　you　enjoy　a　



most　picturesque　view　across　the　Tagus；　which　flows　below；　as　far　



as　the　huge　mountains　of　Plasencia；　the　tops　of　which　are　generally　



covered　with　snow。







So　this　Don　Martin　Fajardo；　judge；　being　at　Jaraicejo；　laid　his　



claw　upon　four　Gitanos；　and　having　nothing；　as　it　appears；　to　



accuse　them　of；　except　being　Gitanos；　put　them　to　the　torture；　and　



made　them　accuse　themselves；　which　they　did；　for；　on　the　first　



appeal　which　was　made　to　the　rack；　they　confessed　that　they　had　



murdered　a　female　Gypsy　in　the　forest　of　Las　Gamas；　and　had　there　



eaten　her。　。　。　。







I　am　myself　well　acquainted　with　this　same　forest　of　Las　Gamas；　



which　lies　between　Jaraicejo　and　Trujillo；　it　abounds　with　chestnut　



and　cork　trees；　and　is　a　place　very　well　suited　either　for　the　



purpose　of　murder　or　cannibalism。　　It　will　be　as　well　to　observe　



that　I　visited　it　in　company　with　a　band　of　Gitanos；　who　bivouacked　



there；　and　cooked　their　supper；　which　however　did　not　consist　of　



human　flesh；　but　of　a　puchera；　the　ingredients　of　which　were　beef；　



bacon；　garbanzos；　and　berdolaga；　or　field…pease　and　purslain；　…　



therefore　I　myself　can　bear　testimony　that　there　is　such　a　forest　



as　Las　Gamas；　and　that　it　is　frequented　occasionally　by　Gypsies；　by　



which　two　points　are　established　by　far　the　most　important　to　the　



history　in　question；　or　so　at　least　it　would　be　thought　in　Spain；　



for　being　sure　of　the　forest　and　the　Gypsies；　few　would　be　



incredulous　enough　to　doubt　the　facts　of　the　murder　and　



cannibalism。　。　。　。







On　being　put　to　the　rack　a　second　time；　the　Gitanos　confessed　that　



they　had　likewise　murdered　and　eaten　a　female　pilgrim　in　the　forest　



aforesaid；　and　on　being　tortured　yet　again；　that　they　had　served　in　



the　same　manner；　and　in　the　same　forest；　a　friar　of　the　order　of　



San　Francisco；　whereupon　they　were　released　from　the　rack　and　



executed。　　This　is　one　of　the　anecdotes　of　Quinones。







And　it　came　to　pass；　moreover；　that　the　said　Fajardo；　being　in　the　



town　of　Montijo；　was　told　by　the　alcalde；　that　a　certain　inhabitant　



of　that　place　had　some　time　previous　lost　a　mare；　and　wandering　



about　the　plains　in　quest　of　her；　he　arrived　at　a　place　called　



Arroyo　el　Puerco；　where　stood　a　ruined　house；　on　entering　which　he　



found　various　Gitanos　employed　in　preparing　their　dinner；　which　



consisted　of　a　quarter　of　a　human　body；　which　was　being　roasted　



before　a　huge　fire：　　the　result；　however；　we　are　not　told；　whether　



the　Gypsies　were　angry　at　being　disturbed　in　their　cookery；　or　



whether　the　man　of　the　mare　departed　unobserved。







Quinones；　in　continuation；　states　in　his　book　that　he　learned　（he　



does　not　say　from　whom；　but　probably　from　Fajardo）　that　there　was　a　



shepherd　of　the　city　of　Gaudix；　who　once　lost　his　way　in　the　wild　



sierra　of　Gadol：　　night　came　on；　and　the　wind　blew　cold：　　he　



wandered　about　until　he　descried　a　light　in　the　distance；　towards　



which　he　bent　his　way；　supposing　it　to　be　a　fire　kindled　by　



shepherds：　　on　arriving　at　the　spot；　however；　he　found　a　whole　



tribe　of　Gypsies；　who　were　roasting　the　half　of　a　man；　the　other　



half　being　hung　on　a　cork…tree：　　the　Gypsies　welcomed　him　very　



heartily；　and　requested　him　to　be　seated　at　the　fire　and　to　sup　



with　them；　but　he　presently　heard　them　whisper　to　each　other；　'this　



is　a　fine　fat　fellow；'　from　which　he　suspected　that　they　were　



meditating　a　design　upon　his　body：　　whereupon；　feeling　himself　



sleepy；　he　made　as　if　he　were　seeking　a　spot　where　to　lie；　and　



suddenly　darted　headlong　down　the　mountain…side；　and　escaped　from　



their　hands　without　breaking　his　neck。







These　anecdotes　scarcely　deserve　comment；　first　we　have　the　



statement　of　Fajardo；　the　fool　or　knave　who　tortures　wretches；　and　



then　puts　them　to　death　for　the　crimes　with　which　they　have　taxed　



themselves　whilst　undergoing　the　agony　of　the　rack；　probably　with　



the　hope　of　obtaining　a　moment's　respite；　last　comes　the　tale　of　



the　shepherd；　who　is　invited　by　Gypsies　on　a　mountain　at　night　to　



partake　of　a　supper　of　human　flesh；　and　who　runs　away　from　them　on　



hearing　them　talk　of　the　fatness　of　his　own　body；　as　if　cannibal　



robbers　detected　in　their　orgies　by　a　single　interloper　would　have　



afforded　him　a　chance　of　escaping。　　Such　tales　cannot　be　true。　（19）







Cases　of　cannibalism　are　said　to　have　occurred　in　Hungary　amongst　



the　Gypsies；　indeed；　the　whole　race；　in　that　country；　has　been　



accused　of　cannibalism；　to　which　we　have　alluded　whilst　speaking　of　



the　Chingany：　　it　is　very　probable；　however；　that　they　were　quite　



innocent　of　this　odious　practice；　and　that　the　accusation　had　its　



origin　in　popular　prejudice；　or　in　the　fact　of　their　foul　feeding；　



and　their　seldom　rejecting　carrion　or　offal　of　any　description。







The　Gazette　of　Frankfort　for　the　year　1782；　Nos。　157　and　207；　



states　that　one　hundred　and　fifty　Gypsies　were　imprisoned　charged　



with　this　practice；　and　that　the　Empress　Teresa　sent　commissioners　



to　inquire　into　the　facts　of　the　accusation；　who　discovered　that　



they　were　true；　whereupon　the　empress　published　a　law　to　oblige　all　



the　Gypsies　in　her　dominions　to　become　stationary；　which；　however；　



had　no　effect。







Upon　this　matter　we　can　state　nothing　on　our　own　knowledge。







After　the　above　anecdotes；　it　will　perhaps　not　be　amiss　to　devote　a　



few　lines　to　the　subject　of　Gypsy　food　and　diet。　　I　believe　that　it　



has　been　asserted　that　the　Romas；　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　are　



perfectly　indifferent　as　to　what　they　eat；　provided　only　that　they　



can　appease　their　hunger；　and　that　they　have　no　objection　to　



partake　of　the　carcasses　of　animals　which　have　died　a　natural　



death；　and　have　been　left　to　putrefy　by　the　roadside；　moreover；　



that　they　use　for　food　all　kinds　of　reptiles　and　vermin　which　they　



can　lay　their　hands　upon。







In　this　there　is　a　vast　deal　of　exaggeration；　but　at　the　same　time　



it　must　be　confessed　that；　in　some　instances；　the　habits　of　the　



Gypsies　in　regard　to　food　would　seem；　at　the　first　glance；　to　



favour　the　supposition。　　This　observation　chiefly　holds　good　with　



respect　to　those　of　the　Gypsy　race　who　still　continue　in　a　



wandering　state；　and　who；　doubtless；　retain　more　of　the　ways　and　



customs　of　their　forefathers　than　those　who　have　adopted　a　



stationary　life。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the　wanderers　amongst　



the　Gypsy　race　are　occasionally　seen　to　feast　upon　carcasses　of　



cattle　which　have　been　abandoned　to　the　birds　of　the　air；　yet　it　



would　be　wrong；　from　this　fact；　to　conclude　that　the　Gypsies　were　



habitual　devourers　of　carrion。　　Carrion　it　is　true　they　may　



occasionally　devour；　from　want　of　better　food；　but　many　of　these　



carcasses　are　not　in　reality　the　carrion　which　they　appear；　but　are　



the　bodies　of　animals　which　the　Gypsies　have　themselves　killed　by　



casting　drao；　in　hope　that　the　flesh　may　eventually　be　abandoned　to　



them。　　It　is　utterly　useless　to　write　about　the　habits　of　the　



Gypsies；　especially　of　the　wandering　tribes；　unless　you　have　lived　



long　and　intimately　with　them；　and　unhappily；　up　to　the　present　



time；　all　the　books　which　have　been　published　concerning　them　have　



been　written　by　those　who　have　introduced　themselves　into　their　



society　for　a　few　hours；　and　from　what　they　have　seen　or　heard　



consider　themselves　competent　to　give　the　world　an　idea　of　the　



manners　and　customs　of　the　mysterious　Rommany：　　thus；　because　they　



have　been　known　to　beg　the　carcass　of　a　hog　which　they　themselves　



have　poisoned；　it　has　been　asserted　that　they　prefer　carrion　which　



has　perished　of　sickness　to　the　meat　of　the　shambles；　and　because　



they　have　been　seen　to　make　a　ragout　of　boror　（SNAILS）；　and　to　



roast　a　hotchiwitchu　or　hedgehog；　it　has　been　supposed　that　



reptiles　of　every　description　form　a　part　of　their　cuisine。　　It　is　



high　time　to　undeceive　the　Gentiles　on　these　points。　　Know；　then；　O　



Gentile；　whether　thou　be　from　the　land　of　the　Gorgios　（20）　or　the　



Busne　（21）；　that　the　very　Gypsies　who　consider　a　ragout　of　snails　a　



delicious　dish　will　not　touch　an　eel；　because　it　bears　resemblance　



to　a　SNAKE；　and　that　those　who　will　feast　o