the zincali-第15章

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



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



the　interior；　had　they　gone　amongst　them；　who；　according　to　the　



usual　practice；　would　either　have　massacred　them　or　made　them　



slaves；　and　as　slaves；　they　would　have　been　separated。　　The　mulatto　



hue　of　their　countenances　would　probably　have　insured　them　the　



latter　fate；　as　all　blacks　and　mulattos　in　the　dominions　of　the　



Moor　are　properly　slaves；　and　can　be　bought　and　sold；　unless　by　



some　means　or　other　they　become　free；　in　which　event　their　colour　



is　no　obstacle　to　their　elevation　to　the　highest　employments　and　



dignities；　to　their　becoming　pashas　of　cities　and　provinces；　or　



even　to　their　ascending　the　throne。　　Several　emperors　of　Morocco　



have　been　mulattos。







Above　I　have　pointed　out　all　the　difficulties　and　dangers　which　



must　have　attended　the　path　of　the　Gitanos；　had　they　passed　from　



Spain　into　Barbary；　and　attempted　to　spread　themselves　over　that　



region；　as　over　Europe　and　many　parts　of　Asia。　　To　these　



observations　I　have　been　led　by　the　assertion　that　they　



accomplished　this；　and　no　proof　of　the　fact　having；　as　I　am　aware；　



ever　been　adduced；　for　who　amongst　those　who　have　made　such　a　



statement　has　seen　or　conversed　with　the　Egyptians　of　Barbary；　or　



had　sufficient　intercourse　with　them　to　justify　him　in　the　



assertion　that　they　are　one　and　the　same　people　as　those　of　Europe；　



from　whom　they　differ　about　as　much　as　the　various　tribes　which　



inhabit　various　European　countries　differ　from　each　other？　　At　the　



same　time；　I　wish　it　to　be　distinctly　understood　that　I　am　far　from　



denying　the　existence　of　Gypsies　in　various　parts　of　the　interior　



of　Barbary。　　Indeed；　I　almost　believe　the　fact；　though　the　



information　which　I　possess　is　by　no　means　of　a　description　which　



would　justify　me　in　speaking　with　full　certainty；　I　having　myself　



never　come　in　contact　with　any　sect　or　caste　of　people　amongst　the　



Moors；　who　not　only　tallied　in　their　pursuits　with　the　Rommany；　but　



who　likewise　spoke　amongst　themselves　a　dialect　of　the　language　of　



Roma；　nor　am　I　aware　that　any　individual　worthy　of　credit　has　ever　



presumed　to　say　that　he　has　been　more　fortunate　in　these　respects。







Nevertheless；　I　repeat　that　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　Gypsies　



virtually　exist　in　Barbary；　and　my　reasons　I　shall　presently　



adduce；　but　I　will　here　observe；　that　if　these　strange　outcasts　did　



indeed　contrive　to　penetrate　into　the　heart　of　that　savage　and　



inhospitable　region；　they　could　only　have　succeeded　after　having　



become　well　acquainted　with　the　Moorish　language；　and　when；　after　a　



considerable　sojourn　on　the　coast；　they　had　raised　for　themselves　a　



name；　and　were　regarded　with　superstitious　fear；　in　a　word；　if　they　



walked　this　land　of　peril　untouched　and　unscathed；　it　was　not　that　



they　were　considered　as　harmless　and　inoffensive　people；　which；　



indeed；　would　not　have　protected　them；　and　which　assuredly　they　



were　not；　it　was　not　that　they　were　mistaken　for　wandering　Moors　



and　Bedouins；　from　whom　they　differed　in　feature　and　complexion；　



but　because；　wherever　they　went；　they　were　dreaded　as　the　



possessors　of　supernatural　powers；　and　as　mighty　sorcerers。







There　is　in　Barbary　more　than　one　sect　of　wanderers；　which；　to　the　



cursory　observer；　might　easily　appear；　and　perhaps　have　appeared；　



in　the　right　of　legitimate　Gypsies。　　For　example；　there　are　the　



Beni　Aros。　　The　proper　home　of　these　people　is　in　certain　high　



mountains　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Tetuan；　but　they　are　to　be　found　



roving　about　the　whole　kingdom　of　Fez。　　Perhaps　it　would　be　



impossible　to　find；　in　the　whole　of　Northern　Africa；　a　more　



detestable　caste。　　They　are　beggars　by　profession；　but　are　



exceedingly　addicted　to　robbery　and　murder；　they　are　notorious　



drunkards；　and　are　infamous；　even　in　Barbary；　for　their　unnatural　



lusts。　　They　are；　for　the　most　part；　well　made　and　of　comely　



features。　　I　have　occasionally　spoken　with　them；　they　are　Moors；　



and　speak　no　language　but　the　Arabic。







Then　there　is　the　sect　of　Sidi　Hamed　au　Muza；　a　very　roving　people；　



companies　of　whom　are　generally　to　be　found　in　all　the　principal　



towns　of　Barbary。　　The　men　are　expert　vaulters　and　tumblers；　and　



perform　wonderful　feats　of　address　with　swords　and　daggers；　to　the　



sound　of　wild　music；　which　the　women；　seated　on　the　ground；　produce　



from　uncouth　instruments；　by　these　means　they　obtain　a　livelihood。　　



Their　dress　is　picturesque；　scarlet　vest　and　white　drawers。　　In　



many　respects　they　not　a　little　resemble　the　Gypsies；　but　they　are　



not　an　evil　people；　and　are　looked　upon　with　much　respect　by　the　



Moors；　who　call　them　Santons。　　Their　patron　saint　is　Hamed　au　Muza；　



and　from　him　they　derive　their　name。　　Their　country　is　on　the　



confines　of　the　Sahara；　or　great　desert；　and　their　language　is　the　



Shilhah；　or　a　dialect　thereof。　　They　speak　but　little　Arabic。　　When　



I　saw　them　for　the　first　time；　I　believed　them　to　be　of　the　Gypsy　



caste；　but　was　soon　undeceived。　　A　more　wandering　race　does　not　



exist　than　the　children　of　Sidi　Hamed　au　Muza。　　They　have　even　



visited　France；　and　exhibited　their　dexterity　and　agility　at　Paris　



and　Marseilles。







I　will　now　say　a　few　words　concerning　another　sect　which　exists　in　



Barbary；　and　will　here　premise；　that　if　those　who　compose　it　are　



not　Gypsies；　such　people　are　not　to　be　found　in　North　Africa；　and　



the　assertion；　hitherto　believed；　that　they　abound　there；　is　devoid　



of　foundation。　　I　allude　to　certain　men　and　women；　generally　termed　



by　the　Moors　'Those　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal；'　which　word　is　equivalent　



to　prophesying　or　fortune…telling。　　They　are　great　wanderers；　but　



have　also　their　fixed　dwellings　or　villages；　and　such　a　place　is　



called　'Char　Seharra；'　or　witch…hamlet。　　Their　manner　of　life；　in　



every　respect；　resembles　that　of　the　Gypsies　of　other　countries；　



they　are　wanderers　during　the　greatest　part　of　the　year；　and　



subsist　principally　by　pilfering　and　fortune…telling。　　They　deal　



much　in　mules　and　donkeys；　and　it　is　believed；　in　Barbary；　that　



they　can　change　the　colour　of　any　animal　by　means　of　sorcery；　and　



so　disguise　him　as　to　sell　him　to　his　very　proprietor；　without　fear　



of　his　being　recognised。　　This　latter　trait　is　quite　characteristic　



of　the　Gypsy　race；　by　whom　the　same　thing　is　practised　in　most　



parts　of　the　world。　　But　the　Moors　assert；　that　the　children　of　the　



Dar…bushi…fal　can　not　only　change　the　colour　of　a　horse　or　a　mule；　



but　likewise　of　a　human　being；　in　one　night；　transforming　a　white　



into　a　black；　after　which　they　sell　him　for　a　slave；　on　which　



account　the　superstitious　Moors　regard　them　with　the　utmost　dread；　



and　in　general　prefer　passing　the　night　in　the　open　fields　to　



sleeping　in　their　hamlets。　　They　are　said　to　possess　a　particular　



language；　which　is　neither　Shilhah　nor　Arabic；　and　which　none　but　



themselves　understand；　from　all　which　circumstances　I　am　led　to　



believe；　that　the　children　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal　are　legitimate　



Gypsies；　descendants　of　those　who　passed　over　to　Barbary　from　



Spain。　　Nevertheless；　as　it　has　never　been　my　fortune　to　meet　or　to　



converse　with　any　of　this　caste；　though　they　are　tolerably　numerous　



in　Barbary；　I　am　far　from　asserting　that　they　are　of　Gypsy　race。　　



More　enterprising　individuals　than　myself　may；　perhaps；　establish　



the　fact。　　Any　particular　language　or　jargon　which　they　speak　



amongst　themselves　will　be　the　best　criterion。　　The　word　which　they　



employ　for　'water'　would　decide　the　point；　for　the　Dar…bushi…fal　



are　not　Gypsies；　if；　in　their　peculiar　speech；　they　designate　that　



blessed　element　and　article　most　necessary　to　human　existence　by　



aught　else　than　the　Sanscrit　term　'Pani；'　a　word　brought　by　the　



race　from　sunny　Ind；　and　esteemed　so　holy　that　they　have　never　even　



presumed　to　modify　it。







The　following　is　an　account　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal；　given　me　by　a　Jew　



of　Fez；　who　had　travelled　much　in　Barbary；　and　which　I　insert　



almost　literally　as　I　heard　it　from　his　mouth。　　Various　other　



individuals；　Moors；　have　spoken　of　them　in　much　the　same　manner。







'In　one　of　my　journeys　I　passed　the　night　in　a　place　called　Mulai…



Jacub　Munsur。







'Not　far　from　this　place　is　a　Char　Seharra；　or　witch…hamlet；　where　



dwell　those　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal。　　These　are　very　evil　people；　and　



powerful　enchanters；　for　it　is　well　known　that　if　any　traveller　



stop　to　sleep　in　their　Char；　they　will　with　their　sorceries；　if　he　



be　a　white　man；　turn　him　as　black　as　a　coal；　and　will　afterwards　



sell　him　as　a　negro。　　Horses　and　mules　they　serve　in　the　same　



manner；　for　if　they　are　black；　they　will　turn　them　red；　or　any　



other　colour　which　best　may　please　them；　and　although　the　owners　



demand　justice　of　the　authorities；　the　sorcerers　always　come　off　



best。　　They　have　a　language　which　they　use　among　themselves；　very　



different　from　all　other　languages；　so　much　so　that　it　is　



impossible　to　understand　them。　　They　are　very　swarthy；　quite　as　



much　so　as　mulattos；　and　their　faces　are　exceedingly　lean。　　As　for　



their　legs；　they　are　like　reeds；　and　when　they　run；　the　devil　



himself　cannot　overtake　them。　　They　tell　Dar…bushi…fal　with　flour；　



they　fill　a　plate；　and　then　they　are　able　to　tell　you　anything　you　



ask　them。　　They　likewise　tell　it　with　a　shoe；　they　put　it　in　their　



mouth；　and　then　they　will　recall　to　your　memory　every　action　of　



your　life。　　They　likewise　tell　Dar…bushi…fal　with　oil；　and　indeed　



are；　in　every　respect；　most　powerful　sorcerers。







'Two　women；　once　on　a　time；　came　to　Fez；　bringing　with　them　an　



exceedingly　white　donkey；　which　they　placed　in　the　middle　of　the　



square　called　Faz　el　Bali；　they　then　killed　it；　and　cut　it　into　



upwards　of　thirty　pieces。　　Upon　the　ground　there　was　much　of　the　



donkey's　filth　and　dung；　some　of　this　they　took　in　their　hands；　



when　it　straight　assumed　the　appearance　of　fresh　dates。　　There　were　



some　people　who　were　greedy　enough　to　put　these　dates　into　their　



mouths；　and　then　they　found　that　it　was　dung。　　These　women　deceived　



me　amongst　the　rest　with　a　date；　when　I　put　it　into　my　mouth；　lo　



and　behold　it　was　the　donkey's　dung。　　After　they　had　collected　much　



money　from　the　spectators；　one　of　them　took　a　needle；　and　ran　it　



into　the　tail　of　the　donkey；　crying　〃Arrhe　li　dar〃　（Get　home）；　



whereupon　the　donkey　instantly　rose　up；　and　set　off　running；　



kicking　every　now　and　then　most　furiously；　and　it　was　remarked；　



that　not　one　single　trace　of　blood　remained　upon　the　ground；　just　



as　if　they　had　done　nothing　to　it。　　Both　th