the zincali-第38章

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either　woollen　or　cotton　stockings；　round　his　neck　he　wears　a　



handkerchief；　carelessly　tied；　and　in　the　winter　he　uses　a　blanket　



or　mantle；　with　sleeves；　cast　over　the　shoulder；　his　head　is　



covered　with　the　indispensable　red　cap；　which　appears　to　be　the　



favourite　ornament　of　many　nations　in　the　vicinity　of　the　



Mediterranean　and　Caspian　Sea。







'The　neck　and　the　elbows　of　the　jacket　are　adorned　with　pieces　of　



blue　and　yellow　cloth　embroidered　with　silk；　as　well　as　the　seams　



of　the　pantaloons；　he　wears；　moreover；　on　the　jacket　or　the　



waistcoat；　various　rows　of　silver　buttons；　small　and　round；　



sustained　by　rings　or　chains　of　the　same　metal。　　The　old　people；　



and　those　who　by　fortune；　or　some　other　cause；　exercise；　in　



appearance；　a　kind　of　authority　over　the　rest；　are　almost　always　



dressed　in　black　or　dark…blue　velvet。　　Some　of　those　who　affect　



elegance　amongst　them　keep　for　holidays　a　complete　dress　of　sky…



blue　velvet；　with　embroidery　at　the　neck；　pocket…holes；　arm…pits；　



and　in　all　the　seams；　in　a　word；　with　the　exception　of　the　turban；　



this　was　the　fashion　of　dress　of　the　ancient　Moors　of　Granada；　the　



only　difference　being　occasioned　by　time　and　misery。







'The　dress　of　the　Gitanas　is　very　varied：　　the　young　girls；　or　



those　who　are　in　tolerably　easy　circumstances；　generally　wear　a　



black　bodice　laced　up　with　a　string；　and　adjusted　to　their　figures；　



and　contrasting　with　the　scarlet…coloured　saya；　which　only　covers　a　



part　of　the　leg；　their　shoes　are　cut　very　low；　and　are　adorned　with　



little　buckles　of　silver；　the　breast；　and　the　upper　part　of　the　



bodice；　are　covered　either　with　a　white　handkerchief；　or　one　of　



some　vivid　colour；　and　on　the　head　is　worn　another　handkerchief；　



tied　beneath　the　chin；　one　of　the　ends　of　which　falls　on　the　



shoulder；　in　the　manner　of　a　hood。　　When　the　cold　or　the　heat　



permit；　the　Gitana　removes　the　hood；　without　untying　the　knots；　and　



exhibits　her　long　and　shining　tresses　restrained　by　a　comb。　　The　



old　women；　and　the　very　poor；　dress　in　the　same　manner；　save　that　



their　habiliments　are　more　coarse　and　the　colours　less　in　harmony。　　



Amongst　them　misery　appears　beneath　the　most　revolting　aspect；　



whilst　the　poorest　Gitano　preserves　a　certain　deportment　which　



would　make　his　aspect　supportable；　if　his　unquiet　and　ferocious　



glance　did　not　inspire　us　with　aversion。'















CHAPTER　VI















WHILST　their　husbands　are　engaged　in　their　jockey　vocation；　or　in　



wielding　the　cachas；　the　Callees；　or　Gypsy　females；　are　seldom　



idle；　but　are　endeavouring；　by　various　means；　to　make　all　the　gain　



they　can。　　The　richest　amongst　them　are　generally　contrabandistas；　



and　in　the　large　towns　go　from　house　to　house　with　prohibited　



goods；　especially　silk　and　cotton；　and　occasionally　with　tobacco。　　



They　likewise　purchase　cast…off　female　wearing…apparel；　which；　when　



vamped　up　and　embellished；　they　sometimes　contrive　to　sell　as　new；　



with　no　inconsiderable　profit。







Gitanas　of　this　description　are　of　the　most　respectable　class；　the　



rest；　provided　they　do　not　sell　roasted　chestnuts；　or　esteras；　



which　are　a　species　of　mat；　seek　a　livelihood　by　different　tricks　



and　practices；　more　or　less　fraudulent；　for　example　…







LA　BAHI；　or　fortune…telling；　which　is　called　in　Spanish；　BUENA　



VENTURA。　…　This　way　of　extracting　money　from　the　credulity　of　dupes　



is；　of　all　those　practised　by　the　Gypsies；　the　readiest　and　most　



easy；　promises　are　the　only　capital　requisite；　and　the　whole　art　of　



fortune…telling　consists　in　properly　adapting　these　promises　to　the　



age　and　condition　of　the　parties　who　seek　for　information。　　The　



Gitanas　are　clever　enough　in　the　accomplishment　of　this；　and　in　



most　cases　afford　perfect　satisfaction。　　Their　practice　chiefly　



lies　amongst　females；　the　portion　of　the　human　race　most　given　to　



curiosity　and　credulity。　　To　the　young　maidens　they　promise　lovers；　



handsome　invariably；　and　sometimes　rich；　to　wives　children；　and　



perhaps　another　husband；　for　their　eyes　are　so　penetrating；　that　



occasionally　they　will　develop　your　most　secret　thoughts　and　



wishes；　to　the　old；　riches　…　and　nothing　but　riches；　for　they　have　



sufficient　knowledge　of　the　human　heart　to　be　aware　that　avarice　is　



the　last　passion　that　becomes　extinct　within　it。　　These　riches　are　



to　proceed　either　from　the　discovery　of　hidden　treasures　or　from　



across　the　water；　from　the　Americas；　to　which　the　Spaniards　still　



look　with　hope；　as　there　is　no　individual　in　Spain；　however　poor；　



but　has　some　connection　in　those　realms　of　silver　and　gold；　at　



whose　death　he　considers　it　probable　that　he　may　succeed　to　a　



brilliant　'herencia。'　　The　Gitanas；　in　the　exercise　of　this　



practice；　find　dupes　almost　as　readily　amongst　the　superior　



classes；　as　the　veriest　dregs　of　the　population。　　It　is　their　



boast；　that　the　best　houses　are　open　to　them；　and　perhaps　in　the　



space　of　one　hour；　they　will　spae　the　bahi　to　a　duchess；　or　



countess；　in　one　of　the　hundred　palaces　of　Madrid；　and　to　half　a　



dozen　of　the　lavanderas　engaged　in　purifying　the　linen　of　the　



capital；　beneath　the　willows　which　droop　on　the　banks　of　the　



murmuring　Manzanares。　　One　great　advantage　which　the　Gypsies　



possess　over　all　other　people　is　an　utter　absence　of　MAUVAISE　



HONTE；　their　speech　is　as　fluent；　and　their　eyes　as　unabashed；　in　



the　presence　of　royalty；　as　before　those　from　whom　they　have　



nothing　to　hope　or　fear；　the　result　being；　that　most　minds　quail　



before　them。　　There　were　two　Gitanas　at　Madrid；　one　Pepita　by　name；　



and　the　other　La　Chicharona；　the　first　was　a　spare；　shrewd；　witch…



like　female；　about　fifty；　and　was　the　mother…in…law　of　La　



Chicharona；　who　was　remarkable　for　her　stoutness。　　These　women　



subsisted　entirely　by　fortune…telling　and　swindling。　　It　chanced　



that　the　son　of　Pepita；　and　husband　of　Chicharona；　having　spirited　



away　a　horse；　was　sent　to　the　presidio　of　Malaga　for　ten　years　of　



hard　labour。　　This　misfortune　caused　inexpressible　affliction　to　



his　wife　and　mother；　who　determined　to　make　every　effort　to　procure　



his　liberation。　　The　readiest　way　which　occurred　to　them　was　to　



procure　an　interview　with　the　Queen　Regent　Christina；　who　they　



doubted　not　would　forthwith　pardon　the　culprit；　provided　they　had　



an　opportunity　of　assailing　her　with　their　Gypsy　discourse；　for；　to　



use　their　own　words；　'they　well　knew　what　to　say。'　　I　at　that　time　



lived　close　by　the　palace；　in　the　street　of　Santiago；　and　daily；　



for　the　space　of　a　month；　saw　them　bending　their　steps　in　that　



direction。







One　day　they　came　to　me　in　a　great　hurry；　with　a　strange　expression　



on　both　their　countenances。　　'We　have　seen　Christina；　hijo'　（my　



son）；　said　Pepita　to　me。







'Within　the　palace？'　I　inquired。







'Within　the　palace；　O　child　of　my　garlochin；'　answered　the　sibyl：　　



'Christina　at　last　saw　and　sent　for　us；　as　I　knew　she　would；　I　told　



her　〃bahi；〃　and　Chicharona　danced　the　Romalis　（Gypsy　dance）　before　



her。'







'What　did　you　tell　her？'







'I　told　her　many　things；'　said　the　hag；　'many　things　which　I　need　



not　tell　you：　　know；　however；　that　amongst　other　things；　I　told　her　



that　the　chabori　（little　queen）　would　die；　and　then　she　would　be　



Queen　of　Spain。　　I　told　her；　moreover；　that　within　three　years　she　



would　marry　the　son　of　the　King　of　France；　and　it　was　her　bahi　to　



die　Queen　of　France　and　Spain；　and　to　be　loved　much；　and　hated　



much。'







'And　did　you　not　dread　her　anger；　when　you　told　her　these　things？'







'Dread　her；　the　Busnee？'　screamed　Pepita：　　'No；　my　child；　she　



dreaded　me　far　more；　I　looked　at　her　so　…　and　raised　my　finger　so　…　



and　Chicharona　clapped　her　hands；　and　the　Busnee　believed　all　I　



said；　and　was　afraid　of　me；　and　then　I　asked　for　the　pardon　of　my　



son；　and　she　pledged　her　word　to　see　into　the　matter；　and　when　we　



came　away；　she　gave　me　this　baria　of　gold；　and　to　Chicharona　this　



other；　so　at　all　events　we　have　hokkanoed　the　queen。　　May　an　evil　



end　overtake　her　body；　the　Busnee！'







Though　some　of　the　Gitanas　contrive　to　subsist　by　fortune…telling　



alone；　the　generality　of　them　merely　make　use　of　it　as　an　



instrument　towards　the　accomplishment　of　greater　things。　　The　



immediate　gains　are　scanty；　a　few　cuartos　being　the　utmost　which　



they　receive　from　the　majority　of　their　customers。　　But　the　bahi　is　



an　excellent　passport　into　houses；　and　when　they　spy　a　convenient　



opportunity；　they　seldom　fail　to　avail　themselves　of　it。　　It　is　



necessary　to　watch　them　strictly；　as　articles　frequently　disappear　



in　a　mysterious　manner　whilst　Gitanas　are　telling　fortunes。　　The　



bahi；　moreover；　is　occasionally　the　prelude　to　a　device　which　we　



shall　now　attempt　to　describe；　and　which　is　called　HOKKANO　BARO；　or　



the　great　trick；　of　which　we　have　already　said　something　in　the　



former　part　of　this　work。　　It　consists　in　persuading　some　credulous　



person　to　deposit　whatever　money　and　valuables　the　party　can　muster　



in　a　particular　spot；　under　the　promise　that　the　deposit　will　



increase　many　manifold。　　Some　of　our　readers　will　have　difficulty　



in　believing　that　any　people　can　be　found　sufficiently　credulous　to　



allow　themselves　to　be　duped　by　a　trick　of　this　description；　the　



grossness　of　the　intended　fraud　seeming　too　palpable。　　Experience；　



however；　proves　the　contrary。　　The　deception　is　frequently　



practised　at　the　present　day；　and　not　only　in　Spain　but　in　England　



…　enlightened　England　…　and　in　France　likewise；　an　instance　being　



given　in　the　memoirs　of　Vidocq；　the　late　celebrated　head　of　the　



secret　police　of　Paris；　though；　in　that　instance；　the　perpetrator　



of　the　fraud　was　not　a　Gypsy。　　The　most　subtle　method　of　



accomplishing　the　hokkano　baro　is　the　following：…







When　the　dupe　…　a　widow　we　will　suppose；　for　in　these　cases　the　



dupes　are　generally　widows　…　has　been　induced　to　consent　to　make　



the　experiment；　the　Gitana　demands　of　her　whether　she　has　in　the　



house　some　strong　chest　with　a　safe　lock。　　On　receiving　an　



affirmative　answer；　she　will　request　to　see　all　the　gold　and　silver　



of　any　description　which　she　may　chance　to　have　in　her　possession。　　



The　treasure　is　shown　her；　and　when　the　Gitana　has　carefully　



inspected　and　counted　it；　she　produces　a　white　handkerchief；　



saying；　Lady；　I　give　you　this　handkerchief；　which　is　blessed。　　



Place　in　it　your　gold　and　silver；　and　tie　it　with　three　knots。　　I　



am　going　for　three　days；　during　which　period　you　must　keep　the　



bundle　beneath　your　pillow；　permitting　no　one　to　go　near　it；　and　



observing　the　greatest　secrecy；　otherwise　the　money　will　take　wings　



and　fly