the zincali-第39章

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observing　the　greatest　secrecy；　otherwise　the　money　will　take　wings　



and　fly　away。　　Every　morning　during　the　three　days　it　will　be　well　



to　open　the　bundle；　for　your　own　satisfaction；　to　see　that　no　



misfortune　has　befallen　your　treasure；　be　always　careful；　however；　



to　fasten　it　again　with　the　three　knots。　　On　my　return；　we　will　



place　the　bundle；　after　having　inspected　it；　in　the　chest；　which　



you　shall　yourself　lock；　retaining　the　key　in　your　possession。　　



But；　thenceforward；　for　three　weeks；　you　must　by　no　means　unlock　



the　chest；　nor　look　at　the　treasure　…　if　you　do　it　will　fly　away。　　



Only　follow　my　directions；　and　you　will　gain　much；　very　much；　



baribu。







The　Gitana　departs；　and；　during　the　three　days；　prepares　a　bundle　



as　similar　as　possible　to　the　one　which　contains　the　money　of　her　



dupe；　save　that　instead　of　gold　ounces；　dollars；　and　plate；　its　



contents　consist　of　copper　money　and　pewter　articles　of　little　or　



no　value。　　With　this　bundle　concealed　beneath　her　cloak；　she　



returns　at　the　end　of　three　days　to　her　intended　victim。　　The　



bundle　of　real　treasure　is　produced　and　inspected；　and　again　tied　



up　by　the　Gitana；　who　then　requests　the　other　to　open　the　chest；　



which　done；　she　formally　places　A　BUNDLE　in　it；　but；　in　the　



meanwhile；　she　has　contrived　to　substitute　the　fictitious　for　the　



real　one。　　The　chest　is　then　locked；　the　lady　retaining　the　key。　　



The　Gitana　promises　to　return　at　the　end　of　three　weeks；　to　open　



the　chest；　assuring　the　lady　that　if　it　be　not　unlocked　until　that　



period；　it　will　be　found　filled　with　gold　and　silver；　but　



threatening　that　in　the　event　of　her　injunctions　being　disregarded；　



the　money　deposited　will　vanish。　　She　then　walks　off　with　great　



deliberation；　bearing　away　the　spoil。　　It　is　needless　to　say　that　



she　never　returns。







There　are　other　ways　of　accomplishing　the　hokkano　baro。　　The　most　



simple；　and　indeed　the　one　most　generally　used　by　the　Gitanas；　is　



to　persuade　some　simple　individual　to　hide　a　sum　of　money　in　the　



earth；　which　they　afterwards　carry　away。　　A　case　of　this　



description　occurred　within　my　own　knowledge；　at　Madrid；　towards　



the　latter　part　of　the　year　1837。　　There　was　a　notorious　Gitana；　of　



the　name　of　Aurora；　she　was　about　forty　years　of　age；　a　Valencian　



by　birth；　and　immensely　fat。　　This　amiable　personage；　by　some　



means；　formed　the　acquaintance　of　a　wealthy　widow　lady；　and　was　not　



slow　in　attempting　to　practise　the　hokkano　baro　upon　her。　　She　



succeeded　but　too　well。　　The　widow；　at　the　instigation　of　Aurora；　



buried　one　hundred　ounces　of　gold　beneath　a　ruined　arch　in　a　field；　



at　a　short　distance　from　the　wall　of　Madrid。　　The　inhumation　was　



effected　at　night　by　the　widow　alone。　　Aurora　was；　however；　on　the　



watch；　and；　in　less　than　ten　minutes　after　the　widow　had　departed；　



possessed　herself　of　the　treasure；　perhaps　the　largest　one　ever　



acquired　by　this　kind　of　deceit。　　The　next　day　the　widow　had　



certain　misgivings；　and；　returning　to　the　spot；　found　her　money　



gone。　　About　six　months　after　this　event；　I　was　imprisoned　in　the　



Carcel　de　la　Corte；　at　Madrid；　and　there　I　found　Aurora；　who　was　in　



durance　for　defrauding　the　widow。　　She　said　that　it　had　been　her　



intention　to　depart　for　Valencia　with　the　'barias；'　as　she　styled　



her　plunder；　but　the　widow　had　discovered　the　trick　too　soon；　and　



she　had　been　arrested。　　She　added；　however；　that　she　had　contrived　



to　conceal　the　greatest　part　of　the　property；　and　that　she　expected　



her　liberation　in　a　few　days；　having　been　prodigal　of　bribes　to　the　



'justicia。'　　In　effect；　her　liberation　took　place　sooner　than　my　



own。　　Nevertheless；　she　had　little　cause　to　triumph；　as　before　she　



left　the　prison　she　had　been　fleeced　of　the　last　cuarto　of　her　ill…



gotten　gain；　by　alguazils　and　escribanos；　who；　she　admitted；　



understood　hokkano　baro　much　better　than　herself。







When　I　next　saw　Aurora；　she　informed　me　that　she　was　once　more　on　



excellent　terms　with　the　widow；　whom　she　had　persuaded　that　the　



loss　of　the　money　was　caused　by　her　own　imprudence；　in　looking　for　



it　before　the　appointed　time；　the　spirit　of　the　earth　having　



removed　it　in　anger。　　She　added　that　her　dupe　was　quite　disposed　to　



make　another　venture；　by　which　she　hoped　to　retrieve　her　former　



loss。







USTILAR　PASTESAS。　…　Under　this　head　may　be　placed　various　kinds　of　



theft　committed　by　the　Gitanos。　　The　meaning　of　the　words　is　



stealing　with　the　hands；　but　they　are　more　generally　applied　to　the　



filching　of　money　by　dexterity　of　hand；　when　giving　or　receiving　



change。　　For　example：　　a　Gitana　will　enter　a　shop；　and　purchase　



some　insignificant　article；　tendering　in　payment　a　baria　or　golden　



ounce。　　The　change　being　put　down　before　her　on　the　counter；　she　



counts　the　money；　and　complains　that　she　has　received　a　dollar　and　



several　pesetas　less　than　her　due。　　It　seems　impossible　that　there　



can　be　any　fraud　on　her　part；　as　she　has　not　even　taken　the　pieces　



in　her　hand；　but　merely　placed　her　fingers　upon　them；　pushing　them　



on　one　side。　　She　now　asks　the　merchant　what　he　means　by　attempting　



to　deceive　the　poor　woman。　　The　merchant；　supposing　that　he　has　



made　a　mistake；　takes　up　the　money；　counts　it；　and　finds　in　effect　



that　the　just　sum　is　not　there。　　He　again　hands　out　the　change；　but　



there　is　now　a　greater　deficiency　than　before；　and　the　merchant　is　



convinced　that　he　is　dealing　with　a　witch。　　The　Gitana　now　pushes　



the　money　to　him；　uplifts　her　voice；　and　talks　of　the　justicia。　　



Should　the　merchant　become　frightened；　and；　emptying　a　bag　of　



dollars；　tell　her　to　pay　herself；　as　has　sometimes　been　the　case；　



she　will　have　a　fine　opportunity　to　exercise　her　powers；　and　whilst　



taking　the　change　will　contrive　to　convey　secretly　into　her　sleeves　



five　or　six　dollars　at　least；　after　which　she　will　depart　with　much　



vociferation；　declaring　that　she　will　never　again　enter　the　shop　of　



so　cheating　a　picaro。







Of　all　the　Gitanas　at　Madrid；　Aurora　the　fat　was；　by　their　own　



confession；　the　most　dexterous　at　this　species　of　robbery；　she　



having　been　known　in　many　instances；　whilst　receiving　change　for　an　



ounce；　to　steal　the　whole　value；　which　amounts　to　sixteen　dollars。　　



It　was　not　without　reason　that　merchants　in　ancient　times　were；　



according　to　Martin　Del　Rio；　advised　to　sell　nothing　out　of　their　



shops　to　Gitanas；　as　they　possessed　an　infallible　secret　for　



attracting　to　their　own　purses　from　the　coffers　of　the　former　the　



money　with　which　they　paid　for　the　articles　they　purchased。　　This　



secret　consisted　in　stealing　a　pastesas；　which　they　still　practise。　　



Many　accounts　of　witchcraft　and　sorcery；　which　are　styled　old　



women's　tales；　are　perhaps　equally　well　founded。　　Real　actions　have　



been　attributed　to　wrong　causes。







Shoplifting；　and　other　kinds　of　private　larceny；　are　connected　with　



stealing　a　pastesas；　for　in　all　dexterity　of　hand　is　required。　　



Many　of　the　Gitanas　of　Madrid　are　provided　with　large　pockets；　or　



rather　sacks；　beneath　their　gowns；　in　which　they　stow　away　their　



plunder。　　Some　of　these　pockets　are　capacious　enough　to　hold；　at　



one　time；　a　dozen　yards　of　cloth；　a　Dutch　cheese　and　a　bottle　of　



wine。　　Nothing　that　she　can　eat；　drink；　or　sell；　comes　amiss　to　a　



veritable　Gitana；　and　sometimes　the　contents　of　her　pocket　would　



afford　materials　for　an　inventory　far　more　lengthy　and　curious　than　



the　one　enumerating　the　effects　found　on　the　person　of　the　man…



mountain　at　Lilliput。







CHIVING　DRAO。　…　In　former　times　the　Spanish　Gypsies　of　both　sexes　



were　in　the　habit　of　casting　a　venomous　preparation　into　the　



mangers　of　the　cattle　for　the　purpose　of　causing　sickness。　　At　



present　this　practice　has　ceased；　or　nearly　so；　the　Gitanos；　



however；　talk　of　it　as　universal　amongst　their　ancestors。　　They　



were　in　the　habit　of　visiting　the　stalls　and　stables　secretly；　and　



poisoning　the　provender　of　the　animals；　who　almost　immediately　



became　sick。　　After　a　few　days　the　Gitanos　would　go　to　the　



labourers　and　offer　to　cure　the　sick　cattle　for　a　certain　sum；　and　



if　their　proposal　was　accepted　would　in　effect　perform　the　cure。







Connected　with　the　cure　was　a　curious　piece　of　double　dealing。　　



They　privately　administered　an　efficacious　remedy；　but　pretended　to　



cure　the　animals　not　by　medicines　but　by　charms；　which　consisted　of　



small　variegated　beans；　called　in　their　language　bobis；　（56）　



dropped　into　the　mangers。　　By　this　means　they　fostered　the　idea；　



already　prevalent；　that　they　were　people　possessed　of　supernatural　



gifts　and　powers；　who　could　remove　diseases　without　having　recourse　



to　medicine。　　By　means　of　drao；　they　likewise　procured　themselves　



food；　poisoning　swine；　as　their　brethren　in　England　still　do；　（57）　



and　then　feasting　on　the　flesh；　which　was　abandoned　as　worthless：　　



witness　one　of　their　own　songs：…











'By　Gypsy　drow　the　Porker　died；



I　saw　him　stiff　at　evening　tide；



But　I　saw　him　not　when　morning　shone；



For　the　Gypsies　ate　him　flesh　and　bone。'











By　drao　also　they　could　avenge　themselves　on　their　enemies　by　



destroying　their　cattle；　without　incurring　a　shadow　of　suspicion。　　



Revenge　for　injuries；　real　or　imaginary；　is　sweet　to　all　



unconverted　minds；　to　no　one　more　than　the　Gypsy；　who；　in　all　parts　



of　the　world；　is；　perhaps；　the　most　revengeful　of　human　beings。







Vidocq　in　his　memoirs　states；　that　having　formed　a　connection　with　



an　individual　whom　he　subsequently　discovered　to　be　the　captain　of　



a　band　of　Walachian　Gypsies；　the　latter；　whose　name　was　Caroun；　



wished　Vidocq　to　assist　in　scattering　certain　powders　in　the　



mangers　of　the　peasants'　cattle；　Vidocq；　from　prudential　motives；　



refused　the　employment。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　these　powders　



were；　in　substance；　the　drao　of　the　Spanish　Gitanos。







LA　BAR　LACHI；　OR　THE　LOADSTONE。　…　If　the　Gitanos　in　general　be　



addicted　to　any　one　superstition；　it　is　certainly　with　respect　to　



this　stone；　to　which　they　attribute　all　kinds　of　miraculous　powers。　　



There　can　be　no　doubt；　that　the　singular　property　which　it　



possesses　of　attracting　steel；　by　filling　their　untutored　minds　



with　amazement；　first　gave　rise　to　this　veneration；　which　is　



carried　beyond　all　reasonable　bounds。







They　believe　that　he　who　is　in　possession　of　it　has　nothing　to　fear　



from　steel　or　lead；　from　fire　or　water；　and　that　death　itself　has　



no　power　over　him。　　The　Gypsy　contrabandistas　are　particularly　



anxious　to　procure　this　stone；　which　they　carry　upon　their　persons　



in　their　expeditions；　they　say；　that　in　the　event　of　being　pursued　



by　the　jaracanallis；　o