the zincali-第30章

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Spaniards；　they　were　still　forbidden　to　obtain　their　livelihood　by　



the　traffic　of　markets　and　fairs。







They　have　occasionally　however　another　excellent　reason　for　not　



exposing　the　animal　in　the　public　mercado　…　having　obtained　him　by　



dishonest　means。　　The　stealing；　concealing；　and　receiving　animals　



when　stolen；　are　inveterate　Gypsy　habits；　and　are　perhaps　the　last　



from　which　the　Gitano　will　be　reclaimed；　or　will　only　cease　when　



the　race　has　become　extinct。　　In　the　prisons　of　Madrid；　either　in　



that　of　the　Saladero　or　De　la　Corte；　there　are　never　less　than　a　



dozen　Gitanos　immured　for　stolen　horses　or　mules　being　found　in　



their　possession；　which　themselves　or　their　connections　have　



spirited　away　from　the　neighbouring　villages；　or　sometimes　from　a　



considerable　distance。　　I　say　spirited　away；　for　so　well　do　the　



thieves　take　their　measures；　and　watch　their　opportunity；　that　they　



are　seldom　or　never　taken　in　the　fact。







The　Madrilenian　Gypsy　women　are　indefatigable　in　the　pursuit　of　



prey；　prowling　about　the　town　and　the　suburbs　from　morning　till　



night；　entering　houses　of　all　descriptions；　from　the　highest　to　the　



lowest；　telling　fortunes；　or　attempting　to　play　off　various　kinds　



of　Gypsy　tricks；　from　which　they　derive　much　greater　profit；　and　of　



which　we　shall　presently　have　occasion　to　make　particular　mention。







From　Madrid　let　us　proceed　to　Andalusia；　casting　a　cursory　glance　



on　the　Gitanos　of　that　country。　　I　found　them　very　numerous　at　



Granada；　which　in　the　Gitano　language　is　termed　Meligrana。　　Their　



general　condition　in　this　place　is　truly　miserable；　far　exceeding　



in　wretchedness　the　state　of　the　tribes　of　Estremadura。　　It　is　



right　to　state　that　Granada　itself　is　the　poorest　city　in　Spain；　



the　greatest　part　of　the　population；　which　exceeds　sixty　thousand；　



living　in　beggary　and　nakedness；　and　the　Gitanos　share　in　the　



general　distress。







Many　of　them　reside　in　caves　scooped　in　the　sides　of　the　ravines　



which　lead　to　the　higher　regions　of　the　Alpujarras；　on　a　skirt　of　



which　stands　Granada。　　A　common　occupation　of　the　Gitanos　of　



Granada　is　working　in　iron；　and　it　is　not　unfrequent　to　find　these　



caves　tenanted　by　Gypsy　smiths　and　their　families；　who　ply　the　



hammer　and　forge　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth。　　To　one　standing　at　



the　mouth　of　the　cave；　especially　at　night；　they　afford　a　



picturesque　spectacle。　　Gathered　round　the　forge；　their　bronzed　and　



naked　bodies；　illuminated　by　the　flame；　appear　like　figures　of　



demons；　while　the　cave；　with　its　flinty　sides　and　uneven　roof；　



blackened　by　the　charcoal　vapours　which　hover　about　it　in　festoons；　



seems　to　offer　no　inadequate　representation　of　fabled　purgatory。　　



Working　in　iron　was　an　occupation　strictly　forbidden　to　the　Gitanos　



by　the　ancient　laws；　on　what　account　does　not　exactly　appear；　



though；　perhaps；　the　trade　of　the　smith　was　considered　as　too　much　



akin　to　that　of　the　chalan　to　be　permitted　to　them。　　The　Gypsy　



smith　of　Granada　is　still　a　chalan；　even　as　his　brother　in　England　



is　a　jockey　and　tinker　alternately。







Whilst　speaking　of　the　Gitanos　of　Granada；　we　cannot　pass　by　in　



silence　a　tragedy　which　occurred　in　this　town　amongst　them；　some　



fifteen　years　ago；　and　the　details　of　which　are　known　to　every　



Gitano　in　Spain；　from　Catalonia　to　Estremadura。　　We　allude　to　the　



murder　of　Pindamonas　by　Pepe　Conde。　　Both　these　individuals　were　



Gitanos；　the　latter　was　a　celebrated　contrabandista；　of　whom　many　



remarkable　tales　are　told。　　On　one　occasion；　having　committed　some　



enormous　crime；　he　fled　over　to　Barbary　and　turned　Moor；　and　was　



employed　by　the　Moorish　emperor　in　his　wars；　in　company　with　the　



other　renegade　Spaniards；　whose　grand　depot　or　presidio　is　the　town　



of　Agurey　in　the　kingdom　of　Fez。　　After　the　lapse　of　some　years；　



when　his　crime　was　nearly　forgotten；　he　returned　to　Granada；　where　



he　followed　his　old　occupations　of　contrabandista　and　chalan。　　



Pindamonas　was　a　Gitano　of　considerable　wealth；　and　was　considered　



as　the　most　respectable　of　the　race　at　Granada；　amongst　whom　he　



possessed　considerable　influence。　　Between　this　man　and　Pepe　Conde　



there　existed　a　jealousy；　especially　on　the　part　of　the　latter；　



who；　being　a　man　of　proud　untamable　spirit；　could　not　well　brook　a　



superior　amongst　his　own　people。　　It　chanced　one　day　that　



Pindamonas　and　other　Gitanos；　amongst　whom　was　Pepe　Conde；　were　in　



a　coffee…house。　　After　they　had　all　partaken　of　some　refreshment；　



they　called　for　the　reckoning；　the　amount　of　which　Pindamonas　



insisted　on　discharging。　　It　will　be　necessary　here　to　observe；　



that　on　such　occasions　in　Spain　it　is　considered　as　a　species　of　



privilege　to　be　allowed　to　pay；　which　is　an　honour　generally　



claimed　by　the　principal　man　of　the　party。　　Pepe　Conde　did　not　fail　



to　take　umbrage　at　the　attempt　of　Pindamonas；　which　he　considered　



as　an　undue　assumption　of　superiority；　and　put　in　his　own　claim；　



but　Pindamonas　insisted；　and　at　last　flung　down　the　money　on　the　



table；　whereupon　Pepe　Conde　instantly　unclasped　one　of　those　



terrible　Manchegan　knives　which　are　generally　carried　by　the　



contrabandistas；　and　with　a　frightful　gash　opened　the　abdomen　of　



Pindamonas；　who　presently　expired。







After　this　exploit；　Pepe　Conde　fled；　and　was　not　seen　for　some　



time。　　The　cave；　however；　in　which　he　had　been　in　the　habit　of　



residing　was　watched；　as　a　belief　was　entertained　that　sooner　or　



later　he　would　return　to　it；　in　the　hope　of　being　able　to　remove　



some　of　the　property　contained　in　it。　　This　belief　was　well　



founded。　　Early　one　morning　he　was　observed　to　enter　it；　and　a　band　



of　soldiers　was　instantly　despatched　to　seize　him。　　This　



circumstance　is　alluded　to　in　a　Gypsy　stanza：…











'Fly；　Pepe　Conde；　seek　the　hill；



To　flee's　thy　only　chance；



With　bayonets　fixed；　thy　blood　to　spill；



See　soldiers　four　advance。'











And　before　the　soldiers　could　arrive　at　the　cave；　Pepe　Conde　had　



discovered　their　approach　and　fled；　endeavouring　to　make　his　escape　



amongst　the　rocks　and　barrancos　of　the　Alpujarras。　　The　soldiers　



instantly　pursued；　and　the　chase　continued　a　considerable　time。　　



The　fugitive　was　repeatedly　summoned　to　surrender　himself；　but　



refusing；　the　soldiers　at　last　fired；　and　four　balls　entered　the　



heart　of　the　Gypsy　contrabandista　and　murderer。







Once　at　Madrid　I　received　a　letter　from　the　sister's　son　of　



Pindamonas；　dated　from　the　prison　of　the　Saladero。　　In　this　letter　



the　writer；　who　it　appears　was　in　durance　for　stealing　a　pair　of　



mules；　craved　my　charitable　assistance　and　advice；　and　possibly　in　



the　hope　of　securing　my　favour；　forwarded　some　uncouth　lines　



commemorative　of　the　death　of　his　relation；　and　commencing　thus：…











'The　death　of　Pindamonas　fill'd　all　the　world　with　pain；



At　the　coffee…house's　portal；　by　Pepe　he　was　slain。'











The　faubourg　of　Triana；　in　Seville；　has　from　time　immemorial　been　



noted　as　a　favourite　residence　of　the　Gitanos；　and　here；　at　the　



present　day；　they　are　to　be　found　in　greater　number　than　in　any　



other　town　in　Spain。　　This　faubourg　is　indeed　chiefly　inhabited　by　



desperate　characters；　as；　besides　the　Gitanos；　the　principal　part　



of　the　robber　population　of　Seville　is　here　congregated。　　Perhaps　



there　is　no　part　even　of　Naples　where　crime　so　much　abounds；　and　



the　law　is　so　little　respected；　as　at　Triana；　the　character　of　



whose　inmates　was　so　graphically　delineated　two　centuries　and　a　



half　back　by　Cervantes；　in　one　of　the　most　amusing　of　his　tales。　



（44）







In　the　vilest　lanes　of　this　suburb；　amidst　dilapidated　walls　and　



ruined　convents；　exists　the　grand　colony　of　Spanish　Gitanos。　　Here　



they　may　be　seen　wielding　the　hammer；　here　they　may　be　seen　



trimming　the　fetlocks　of　horses；　or　shearing　the　backs　of　mules　and　



borricos　with　their　cachas；　and　from　hence　they　emerge　to　ply　the　



same　trade　in　the　town；　or　to　officiate　as　terceros；　or　to　buy；　



sell；　or　exchange　animals　in　the　mercado；　and　the　women　to　tell　the　



bahi　through　the　streets；　even　as　in　other　parts　of　Spain；　



generally　attended　by　one　or　two　tawny　bantlings　in　their　arms　or　



by　their　sides；　whilst　others；　with　baskets　and　chafing…pans；　



proceed　to　the　delightful　banks　of　the　Len　Baro；　（45）　by　the　Golden　



Tower；　where；　squatting　on　the　ground　and　kindling　their　charcoal；　



they　roast　the　chestnuts　which；　when　well　prepared；　are　the　



favourite　bonne　bouche　of　the　Sevillians；　whilst　not　a　few；　in　



league　with　the　contrabandistas；　go　from　door　to　door　offering　for　



sale　prohibited　goods　brought　from　the　English　at　Gibraltar。　　Such　



is　Gitano　life　at　Seville；　such　it　is　in　the　capital　of　Andalusia。







It　is　the　common　belief　of　the　Gitanos　of　other　provinces　that　in　



Andalusia　the　language；　customs；　habits；　and　practices　peculiar　to　



their　race　are　best　preserved。　　This　opinion；　which　probably　



originated　from　the　fact　of　their　being　found　in　greater　numbers　in　



this　province　than　in　any　other；　may　hold　good　in　some　instances；　



but　certainly　not　in　all。　　In　various　parts　of　Spain　I　have　found　



the　Gitanos　retaining　their　primitive　language　and　customs　better　



than　in　Seville；　where　they　most　abound：　　indeed；　it　is　not　plain　



that　their　number　has　operated　at　all　favourably　in　this　respect。　　



At　Cordova；　a　town　at　the　distance　of　twenty　leagues　from　Seville；　



which　scarcely　contains　a　dozen　Gitano　families；　I　found　them　



living　in　much　more　brotherly　amity；　and　cherishing　in　a　greater　



degree　the　observances　of　their　forefathers。







I　shall　long　remember　these　Cordovese　Gitanos；　by　whom　I　was　very　



well　received；　but　always　on　the　supposition　that　I　was　one　of　



their　own　race。　　They　said　that　they　never　admitted　strangers　to　



their　houses　save　at　their　marriage　festivals；　when　they　flung　



their　doors　open　to　all；　and　save　occasionally　people　of　influence　



and　distinction；　who　wished　to　hear　their　songs　and　converse　with　



their　women；　but　they　assured　me；　at　the　same　time；　that　these　they　



invariably　deceived；　and　merely　made　use　of　as　instruments　to　serve　



their　own　purposes。　　As　for　myself；　I　was　admitted　without　scruple　



to　their　private　meetings；　and　was　made　a　participator　of　their　



most　secret　thoughts。　　During　our　intercourse　some　remarkable　



scenes　occurred。　　One　night　more　than　twenty　of　us；　men　and　women；　



were　assembled　in　a　long　low　room　on　the　ground　floor；　in　a　dark　



alley　or　court　in　the　old　gloomy　town　of　Cordova。　　After　the　



Gitanos　had　discussed　several　jockey　plans；　and　settled　some　



private　bargains　amongst　themselves；　we　all　gathered　round　a　huge