the zincali-第14章

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to　a　SNAKE；　and　that　those　who　will　feast　on　a　roasted　hedgehog　



could　be　induced　by　no　money　to　taste　a　squirrel；　a　delicious　and　



wholesome　species　of　game；　living　on　the　purest　and　most　nutritious　



food　which　the　fields　and　forests　can　supply。　　I　myself；　while　



living　among　the　Roms　of　England；　have　been　regarded　almost　in　the　



light　of　a　cannibal　for　cooking　the　latter　animal　and　preferring　it　



to　hotchiwitchu　barbecued；　or　ragout　of　boror。　　'You　are　but　half　



Rommany；　brother；'　they　would　say；　'and　you　feed　gorgiko…nes　（LIKE　



A　GENTILE）；　even　as　you　talk。　　Tchachipen　（IN　TRUTH）；　if　we　did　not　



know　you　to　be　of　the　Mecralliskoe　rat　（ROYAL　BLOOD）　of　Pharaoh；　we　



should　be　justified　in　driving　you　forth　as　a　juggel…mush　（DOG　



MAN）；　one　more　fitted　to　keep　company　with　wild　beasts　and　Gorgios　



than　gentle　Rommanys。'







No　person　can　read　the　present　volume　without　perceiving；　at　a　



glance；　that　the　Romas　are　in　most　points　an　anomalous　people；　in　



their　morality　there　is　much　of　anomaly；　and　certainly　not　less　in　



their　cuisine。







'Los　Gitanos　son　muy　malos；　llevan　ninos　hurtados　a　Berberia。　　The　



Gypsies　are　very　bad　people；　they　steal　children　and　carry　them　to　



Barbary；　where　they　sell　them　to　the　Moors'　…　so　said　the　Spaniards　



in　old　times。　　There　can　be　little　doubt　that　even　before　the　fall　



of　the　kingdom　of　Granada；　which　occurred　in　the　year　1492；　the　



Gitanos　had　intercourse　with　the　Moors　of　Spain。　　Andalusia；　which　



has　ever　been　the　province　where　the　Gitano　race　has　most　abounded　



since　its　arrival；　was；　until　the　edict　of　Philip　the　Third；　which　



banished　more　than　a　million　of　Moriscos　from　Spain；　principally　



peopled　by　Moors；　who　differed　from　the　Spaniards　both　in　language　



and　religion。　　By　living　even　as　wanderers　amongst　these　people；　



the　Gitanos　naturally　became　acquainted　with　their　tongue；　and　with　



many　of　their　customs；　which　of　course　much　facilitated　any　



connection　which　they　might　subsequently　form　with　the　



Barbaresques。　　Between　the　Moors　of　Barbary　and　the　Spaniards　a　



deadly　and　continued　war　raged　for　centuries；　both　before　and　after　



the　expulsion　of　the　Moriscos　from　Spain。　　The　Gitanos；　who　cared　



probably　as　little　for　one　nation　as　the　other；　and　who　have　no　



sympathy　and　affection　beyond　the　pale　of　their　own　sect；　doubtless　



sided　with　either　as　their　interest　dictated；　officiating　as　spies　



for　both　parties　and　betraying　both。







It　is　likely　enough　that　they　frequently　passed　over　to　Barbary　



with　stolen　children　of　both　sexes；　whom　they　sold　to　the　Moors；　



who　traffic　in　slaves；　whether　white　or　black；　even　at　the　present　



day；　and　perhaps　this　kidnapping　trade　gave　occasion　to　other　



relations。　　As　they　were　perfectly　acquainted；　from　their　wandering　



life；　with　the　shores　of　the　Spanish　Mediterranean；　they　must　have　



been　of　considerable　assistance　to　the　Barbary　pirates　in　their　



marauding　trips　to　the　Spanish　coasts；　both　as　guides　and　advisers；　



and　as　it　was　a　far　easier　matter；　and　afforded　a　better　prospect　



of　gain；　to　plunder　the　Spaniards　than　the　Moors；　a　people　almost　



as　wild　as　themselves；　they　were；　on　that　account；　and　that　only；　



more　Moors　than　Christians；　and　ever　willing　to　assist　the　former　



in　their　forays　on　the　latter。







Quinones　observes：　　'The　Moors；　with　whom　they　hold　correspondence；　



let　them　go　and　come　without　any　let　or　obstacle：　　an　instance　of　



this　was　seen　in　the　year　1627；　when　two　galleys　from　Spain　were　



carrying　assistance　to　Marmora；　which　was　then　besieged　by　the　



Moors。　　These　galleys　struck　on　a　shoal；　when　the　Moors　seized　all　



the　people　on　board；　making　captives　of　the　Christians　and　setting　



at　liberty　all　the　Moors；　who　were　chained　to　the　oar；　as　for　the　



Gypsy　galley…slaves　whom　they　found　amongst　these　last；　they　did　



not　make　them　slaves；　but　received　them　as　people　friendly　to　them；　



and　at　their　devotion；　which　matter　was　public　and　notorious。'







Of　the　Moors　and　the　Gitanos　we　shall　have　occasion　to　say　



something　in　the　following　chapter。















CHAPTER　VI















THERE　is　no　portion　of　the　world　so　little　known　as　Africa　in　



general；　and　perhaps　of　all　Africa　there　is　no　corner　with　which　



Europeans　are　so　little　acquainted　as　Barbary；　which　nevertheless　



is　only　separated　from　the　continent　of　Europe　by　a　narrow　strait　



of　four　leagues　across。







China　itself　has；　for　upwards　of　a　century；　ceased　to　be　a　land　of　



mystery　to　the　civilised　portion　of　the　world；　the　enterprising　



children　of　Loyola　having　wandered　about　it　in　every　direction　



making　converts　to　their　doctrine　and　discipline；　whilst　the　



Russians　possess　better　maps　of　its　vast　regions　than　of　their　own　



country；　and　lately；　owing　to　the　persevering　labour　and　searching　



eye　of　my　friend　Hyacinth；　Archimandrite　of　Saint　John　Nefsky；　are　



acquainted　with　the　number　of　its　military　force　to　a　man；　and　also　



with　the　names　and　places　of　residence　of　its　civil　servants。　　Yet　



who　possesses　a　map　of　Fez　and　Morocco；　or　would　venture　to　form　a　



conjecture　as　to　how　many　fiery　horsemen　Abderrahman；　the　mulatto　



emperor；　could　lead　to　the　field；　were　his　sandy　dominions　



threatened　by　the　Nazarene？　　Yet　Fez　is　scarcely　two　hundred　



leagues　distant　from　Madrid；　whilst　Maraks；　the　other　great　city　of　



the　Moors；　and　which　also　has　given　its　name　to　an　empire；　is　



scarcely　farther　removed　from　Paris；　the　capital　of　civilisation：　　



in　a　word；　we　scarcely　know　anything　of　Barbary；　the　scanty　



information　which　we　possess　being　confined　to　a　few　towns　on　the　



sea…coast；　the　zeal　of　the　Jesuit　himself　being　insufficient　to　



induce　him　to　confront　the　perils　of　the　interior；　in　the　hopeless　



endeavour　of　making　one　single　proselyte　from　amongst　the　wildest　



fanatics　of　the　creed　of　the　Prophet　Camel…driver。







Are　wanderers　of　the　Gypsy　race　to　be　found　in　Barbary？　　This　is　a　



question　which　I　have　frequently　asked　myself。　　Several　respectable　



authors　have；　I　believe；　asserted　the　fact；　amongst　whom　Adelung；　



who；　speaking　of　the　Gypsies；　says：　　'Four　hundred　years　have　



passed　away　since　they　departed　from　their　native　land。　　During　



this　time；　they　have　spread　themselves　through　the　whole　of　Western　



Asia；　Europe；　and　Northern　Africa。'　（22）　　But　it　is　one　thing　to　



make　an　assertion；　and　another　to　produce　the　grounds　for　making　



it。　　I　believe　it　would　require　a　far　greater　stock　of　information　



than　has　hitherto　been　possessed　by　any　one　who　has　written　on　the　



subject　of　the　Gypsies；　to　justify　him　in　asserting　positively　that　



after　traversing　the　west　of　Europe；　they　spread　themselves　over　



Northern　Africa；　though　true　it　is　that　to　those　who　take　a　



superficial　view　of　the　matter；　nothing　appears　easier　and　more　



natural　than　to　come　to　such　a　conclusion。







Tarifa；　they　will　say；　the　most　western　part　of　Spain；　is　opposite　



to　Tangier；　in　Africa；　a　narrow　sea　only　running　between；　less　wide　



than　many　rivers。　　Bands；　therefore；　of　these　wanderers；　of　course；　



on　reaching　Tarifa；　passed　over　into　Africa；　even　as　thousands　



crossed　the　channel　from　France　to　England。　　They　have　at　all　times　



shown　themselves　extravagantly　fond　of　a　roving　life。　　What　land　is　



better　adapted　for　such　a　life　than　Africa　and　its　wilds？　　What　



land；　therefore；　more　likely　to　entice　them？







All　this　is　very　plausible。　　It　was　easy　enough　for　the　Gitanos　to　



pass　over　to　Tangier　and　Tetuan　from　the　Spanish　towns　of　Tarifa　



and　Algeziras。　　In　the　last　chapter　I　have　stated　my　belief　of　the　



fact；　and　that　moreover　they　formed　certain　connections　with　the　



Moors　of　the　coast；　to　whom　it　is　likely　that　they　occasionally　



sold　children　stolen　in　Spain；　yet　such　connection　would　by　no　



means　have　opened　them　a　passage　into　the　interior　of　Barbary；　



which　is　inhabited　by　wild　and　fierce　people；　in　comparison　with　



whom　the　Moors　of　the　coast；　bad　as　they　always　have　been；　are　



gentle　and　civilised。







To　penetrate　into　Africa；　the　Gitanos　would　have　been　compelled　to　



pass　through　the　tribes　who　speak　the　Shilha　language；　and　who　are　



the　descendants　of　the　ancient　Numidians。　　These　tribes　are　the　



most　untamable　and　warlike　of　mankind；　and　at　the　same　time　the　



most　suspicious；　and　those　who　entertain　the　greatest　aversion　to　



foreigners。　　They　are　dreaded　by　the　Moors　themselves；　and　have　



always　remained；　to　a　certain　degree；　independent　of　the　emperors　



of　Morocco。　　They　are　the　most　terrible　of　robbers　and　murderers；　



and　entertain　far　more　reluctance　to　spill　water　than　the　blood　of　



their　fellow…creatures：　　the　Bedouins；　also；　of　the　Arabian　race；　



are　warlike；　suspicious；　and　cruel；　and　would　not　have　failed　



instantly　to　attack　bands　of　foreign　wanderers；　wherever　they　found　



them；　and　in　all　probability　would　have　exterminated　them。　　Now　the　



Gitanos；　such　as　they　arrived　in　Barbary；　could　not　have　defended　



themselves　against　such　enemies；　had　they　even　arrived　in　large　



divisions；　instead　of　bands　of　twenties　and　thirties；　as　is　their　



custom　to　travel。　　They　are　not　by　nature　nor　by　habit　a　warlike　



race；　and　would　have　quailed　before　the　Africans；　who；　unlike　most　



other　people；　engage　in　wars　from　what　appears　to　be　an　innate　love　



of　the　cruel　and　bloody　scenes　attendant　on　war。







It　may　be　said；　that　if　the　Gitanos　were　able　to　make　their　way　



from　the　north　of　India；　from　Multan；　for　example；　the　province　



which　the　learned　consider　to　be　the　original　dwelling…place　of　the　



race；　to　such　an　immense　distance　as　the　western　part　of　Spain；　



passing　necessarily　through　many　wild　lands　and　tribes；　why　might　



they　not　have　penetrated　into　the　heart　of　Barbary；　and　wherefore　



may　not　their　descendants　be　still　there；　following　the　same　kind　



of　life　as　the　European　Gypsies；　that　is；　wandering　about　from　



place　to　place；　and　maintaining　themselves　by　deceit　and　robbery？







But　those　who　are　acquainted　but　slightly　with　the　condition　of　



Barbary　are　aware　that　it　would　be　less　difficult　and　dangerous　for　



a　company　of　foreigners　to　proceed　from　Spain　to　Multan；　than　from　



the　nearest　seaport　in　Barbary　to　Fez；　an　insignificant　distance。　　



True　it　is；　that；　from　their　intercourse　with　the　Moors　of　Spain；　



the　Gypsies　might　have　become　acquainted　with　the　Arabic　language；　



and　might　even　have　adopted　the　Moorish　dress；　ere　entering　



Barbary；　and；　moreover；　might　have　professed　belief　in　the　religion　



of　Mahomet；　still　they　would　have　been　known　as　foreigners；　and；　on　



that　account；　would　have　been　assuredly　attacked　by　the　people　of　



the　inte