the zincali-第33章

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Midsummer　Day；　and　on　one　of　these　occasions；　being　present；　I　



observed　a　small　family　of　Gitanos；　consisting　of　a　man　of　about　



fifty；　a　female　of　the　same　age；　and　a　handsome　young　Gypsy；　who　



was　their　son；　they　were　richly　dressed　after　the　Gypsy　fashion；　



the　men　wearing　zamarras　with　massy　clasps　and　knobs　of　silver；　and　



the　woman　a　species　of　riding…dress　with　much　gold　embroidery；　and　



having　immense　gold　rings　attached　to　her　ears。　　They　came　from　



Murcia；　a　distance　of　one　hundred　leagues　and　upwards。　　Some　



merchants；　to　whom　I　was　recommended；　informed　me　that　they　had　



credit　on　their　house　to　the　amount　of　twenty　thousand　dollars。







They　experienced　rough　treatment　in　the　fair；　and　on　a　very　



singular　account：　　immediately　on　their　appearing　on　the　ground；　



the　horses　in　the　fair；　which；　perhaps；　amounted　to　three　thousand；　



were　seized　with　a　sudden　and　universal　panic；　it　was　one　of　those　



strange　incidents　for　which　it　is　difficult　to　assign　a　rational　



cause；　but　a　panic　there　was　amongst　the　brutes；　and　a　mighty　one；　



the　horses　neighed；　screamed；　and　plunged；　endeavouring　to　escape　



in　all　directions；　some　appeared　absolutely　possessed；　stamping　and　



tearing；　their　manes　and　tails　stiffly　erect；　like　the　bristles　of　



the　wild　boar　…　many　a　rider　lost　his　seat。　　When　the　panic　had　



ceased；　and　it　did　cease　almost　as　suddenly　as　it　had　arisen；　the　



Gitanos　were　forthwith　accused　as　the　authors　of　it；　it　was　said　



that　they　intended　to　steal　the　best　horses　during　the　confusion；　



and　the　keepers　of　the　ground；　assisted　by　a　rabble　of　chalans；　who　



had　their　private　reasons　for　hating　the　Gitanos；　drove　them　off　



the　field　with　sticks　and　cudgels。　　So　much　for　having　a　bad　name。







These　wealthy　Gitanos；　when　they　are　not　ashamed　of　their　blood　or　



descent；　and　are　not　addicted　to　proud　fancies；　or　'barbales；'　as　



they　are　called；　possess　great　influence　with　the　rest　of　their　



brethren；　almost　as　much　as　the　rabbins　amongst　the　Jews；　their　



bidding　is　considered　law；　and　the　other　Gitanos　are　at　their　



devotion。　　On　the　contrary；　when　they　prefer　the　society　of　the　



Busne　to　that　of　their　own　race；　and　refuse　to　assist　their　less　



fortunate　brethren　in　poverty　or　in　prison；　they　are　regarded　with　



unbounded　contempt　and　abhorrence；　as　in　the　case　of　the　rich　Gypsy　



of　Badajoz；　and　are　not　unfrequently　doomed　to　destruction：　　such　



characters　are　mentioned　in　their　couplets：…











'The　Gypsy　fiend　of　Manga　mead；



Who　never　gave　a　straw；



He　would　destroy；　for　very　greed；



The　good　Egyptian　law。







'The　false　Juanito　day　and　night



Had　best　with　caution　go；



The　Gypsy　carles　of　Yeira　height



Have　sworn　to　lay　him　low。'











However　some　of　the　Gitanos　may　complain　that　there　is　no　longer　



union　to　be　found　amongst　them；　there　is　still　much　of　that　fellow…



feeling　which　springs　from　a　consciousness　of　proceeding　from　one　



common　origin；　or；　as　they　love　to　term　it；　'blood。'　　At　present　



their　system　exhibits　less　of　a　commonwealth　than　when　they　roamed　



in　bands　amongst　the　wilds；　and　principally　subsisted　by　foraging；　



each　individual　contributing　to　the　common　stock；　according　to　his　



success。　　The　interests　of　individuals　are　now　more　distinct；　and　



that　close　connection　is　of　course　dissolved　which　existed　when　



they　wandered　about；　and　their　dangers；　gains；　and　losses　were　felt　



in　common；　and　it　can　never　be　too　often　repeated　that　they　are　no　



longer　a　proscribed　race；　with　no　rights　nor　safety　save　what　they　



gained　by　a　close　and　intimate　union。　　Nevertheless；　the　Gitano；　



though　he　naturally　prefers　his　own　interest　to　that　of　his　



brother；　and　envies　him　his　gain　when　he　does　not　expect　to　share　



in　it；　is　at　all　times　ready　to　side　with　him　against　the　Busno；　



because　the　latter　is　not　a　Gitano；　but　of　a　different　blood；　and　



for　no　other　reason。　　When　one　Gitano　confides　his　plans　to　



another；　he　is　in　no　fear　that　they　will　be　betrayed　to　the　Busno；　



for　whom　there　is　no　sympathy；　and　when　a　plan　is　to　be　executed　



which　requires　co…operation；　they　seek　not　the　fellowship　of　the　



Busne；　but　of　each　other；　and　if　successful；　share　the　gain　like　



brothers。







As　a　proof　of　the　fraternal　feeling　which　is　not　unfrequently　



displayed　amongst　the　Gitanos；　I　shall　relate　a　circumstance　which　



occurred　at　Cordova　a　year　or　two　before　I　first　visited　it。　　One　



of　the　poorest　of　the　Gitanos　murdered　a　Spaniard　with　the　fatal　



Manchegan　knife；　for　this　crime　he　was　seized；　tried；　and　found　



guilty。　　Blood…shedding　in　Spain　is　not　looked　upon　with　much　



abhorrence；　and　the　life　of　the　culprit　is　seldom　taken；　provided　



he　can　offer　a　bribe　sufficient　to　induce　the　notary　public　to　



report　favourably　upon　his　case；　but　in　this　instance　money　was　of　



no　avail；　the　murdered　individual　left　behind　him　powerful　friends　



and　connections；　who　were　determined　that　justice　should　take　its　



course。　　It　was　in　vain　that　the　Gitanos　exerted　all　their　



influence　with　the　authorities　in　behalf　of　their　comrade；　and　such　



influence　was　not　slight；　it　was　in　vain　that　they　offered　



extravagant　sums　that　the　punishment　of　death　might　be　commuted　to　



perpetual　slavery　in　the　dreary　presidio　of　Ceuta；　I　was　credibly　



informed　that　one　of　the　richest　Gitanos；　by　name　Fruto；　offered　



for　his　own　share　of　the　ransom　the　sum　of　five　thousand　crowns；　



whilst　there　was　not　an　individual　but　contributed　according　to　his　



means　…　nought　availed；　and　the　Gypsy　was　executed　in　the　Plaza。　　



The　day　before　the　execution；　the　Gitanos；　perceiving　that　the　fate　



of　their　brother　was　sealed；　one　and　all　quitted　Cordova；　shutting　



up　their　houses　and　carrying　with　them　their　horses；　their　mules；　



their　borricos；　their　wives　and　families；　and　the　greatest　part　of　



their　household　furniture。　　No　one　knew　whither　they　directed　their　



course；　nor　were　they　seen　in　Cordova　for　some　months；　when　they　



again　suddenly　made　their　appearance；　a　few；　however；　never　



returned。　　So　great　was　the　horror　of　the　Gitanos　at　what　had　



occurred；　that　they　were　in　the　habit　of　saying　that　the　place　was　



cursed　for　evermore；　and　when　I　knew　them；　there　were　many　amongst　



them　who；　on　no　account；　would　enter　the　Plaza　which　had　witnessed　



the　disgraceful　end　of　their　unfortunate　brother。







The　position　which　the　Gitanos　hold　in　society　in　Spain　is　the　



lowest；　as　might　be　expected；　they　are　considered　at　best　as　



thievish　chalans；　and　the　women　as　half　sorceresses；　and　in　every　



respect　thieves；　there　is　not　a　wretch；　however　vile；　the　outcast　



of　the　prison　and　the　presidio；　who　calls　himself　Spaniard；　but　



would　feel　insulted　by　being　termed　Gitano；　and　would　thank　God　



that　he　is　not；　and　yet；　strange　to　say；　there　are　numbers；　and　



those　of　the　higher　classes；　who　seek　their　company；　and　endeavour　



to　imitate　their　manners　and　way　of　speaking。　　The　connections　



which　they　form　with　the　Spaniards　are　not　many；　occasionally　some　



wealthy　Gitano　marries　a　Spanish　female；　but　to　find　a　Gitana　



united　to　a　Spaniard　is　a　thing　of　the　rarest　occurrence；　if　it　



ever　takes　place。　　It　is；　of　course；　by　intermarriage　alone　that　



the　two　races　will　ever　commingle；　and　before　that　event　is　brought　



about；　much　modification　must　take　place　amongst　the　Gitanos；　in　



their　manners；　in　their　habits；　in　their　affections；　and　their　



dislikes；　and；　perhaps；　even　in　their　physical　peculiarities；　much　



must　be　forgotten　on　both　sides；　and　everything　is　forgotten　in　the　



course　of　time。







The　number　of　the　Gitano　population　of　Spain　at　the　present　day　may　



be　estimated　at　about　forty　thousand。　　At　the　commencement　of　the　



present　century　it　was　said　to　amount　to　sixty　thousand。　　There　can　



be　no　doubt　that　the　sect　is　by　no　means　so　numerous　as　it　was　at　



former　periods；　witness　those　barrios　in　various　towns　still　



denominated　Gitanerias；　but　from　whence　the　Gitanos　have　



disappeared　even　like　the　Moors　from　the　Morerias。　　Whether　this　



diminution　in　number　has　been　the　result　of　a　partial　change　of　



habits；　of　pestilence　or　sickness；　of　war　or　famine；　or　of　all　



these　causes　combined；　we　have　no　means　of　determining；　and　shall　



abstain　from　offering　conjectures　on　the　subject。















CHAPTER　IV















IN　the　autumn　of　the　year　1839；　I　landed　at　Tarifa；　from　the　coast　



of　Barbary。　　I　arrived　in　a　small　felouk　laden　with　hides　for　



Cadiz；　to　which　place　I　was　myself　going。　　We　stopped　at　Tarifa　in　



order　to　perform　quarantine；　which；　however；　turned　out　a　mere　



farce；　as　we　were　all　permitted　to　come　on　shore；　the　master　of　the　



felouk　having　bribed　the　port　captain　with　a　few　fowls。　　We　formed　



a　motley　group。　　A　rich　Moor　and　his　son；　a　child；　with　their　



Jewish　servant　Yusouf；　and　myself　with　my　own　man　Hayim　Ben　Attar；　



a　Jew。　　After　passing　through　the　gate；　the　Moors　and　their　



domestics　were　conducted　by　the　master　to　the　house　of　one　of　his　



acquaintance；　where　he　intended　they　should　lodge；　whilst　a　sailor　



was　despatched　with　myself　and　Hayim　to　the　only　inn　which　the　



place　afforded。　　I　stopped　in　the　street　to　speak　to　a　person　whom　



I　had　known　at　Seville。　　Before　we　had　concluded　our　discourse；　



Hayim；　who　had　walked　forward；　returned；　saying　that　the　quarters　



were　good；　and　that　we　were　in　high　luck；　for　that　he　knew　the　



people　of　the　inn　were　Jews。　　'Jews；'　said　I；　'here　in　Tarifa；　and　



keeping　an　inn；　I　should　be　glad　to　see　them。'　　So　I　left　my　



acquaintance；　and　hastened　to　the　house。　　We　first　entered　a　



stable；　of　which　the　ground　floor　of　the　building　consisted；　and　



ascending　a　flight　of　stairs　entered　a　very　large　room；　and　from　



thence　passed　into　a　kitchen；　in　which　were　several　people。　　One　of　



these　was　a　stout；　athletic；　burly　fellow　of　about　fifty；　dressed　



in　a　buff　jerkin；　and　dark　cloth　pantaloons。　　His　hair　was　black　as　



a　coal　and　exceedingly　bushy；　his　face　much　marked　from　some　



disorder；　and　his　skin　as　dark　as　that　of　a　toad。　　A　very　tall　



woman　stood　by　the　dresser；　much　resembling　him　in　feature；　with　



the　same　hair　and　complexion；　but　with　more　intelligence　in　her　



eyes　than　the　man；　who　looked　heavy　and　dogged。　　A　dark　woman；　whom　



I　subsequently　discovered　to　be　lame；　sat　in　a　corner；　and　two　or　



three　swarthy　girls；　from　fifteen　to　eighteen　years　of　age；　were　



flitting　about　the　room。　　I　also　observed　a　wicked…looking　boy；　who　



might　have　been　called　handsome；　had　not　one　of　his　eyes　been　



injured。　　'Jews；'　said　I；　in　Moorish；　to　Hayim；　as　I　glanced　at　



these　people　and　about　the　room；　'these　are