the zincali-第37节

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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　



brasero　of　flaming　charcoal；　and　began　conversing　SOBRE　LAS　COSAS　



DE　EGYPTO；　when　I　proposed　that；　as　we　had　no　better　means　of　



amusing　ourselves；　we　should　endeavour　to　turn　into　the　Calo　



language　some　pieces　of　devotion；　that　we　might　see　whether　this　



language；　the　gradual　decay　of　which　I　had　frequently　heard　them　



lament；　was　capable　of　expressing　any　other　matters　than　those　



which　related　to　horses；　mules；　and　Gypsy　traffic。　　It　was　in　this　



cautious　manner　that　I　first　endeavoured　to　divert　the　attention　of　



these　singular　people　to　matters　of　eternal　importance。　　My　



suggestion　was　received　with　acclamations；　and　we　forthwith　



proceeded　to　the　translation　of　the　Apostles'　creed。　　I　first　



recited　in　Spanish；　in　the　usual　manner　and　without　pausing；　this　



noble　confession；　and　then　repeated　it　again；　sentence　by　sentence；　



the　Gitanos　translating　as　I　proceeded。　　They　exhibited　the　



greatest　eagerness　and　interest　in　their　unwonted　occupation；　and　



frequently　broke　into　loud　disputes　as　to　the　best　rendering　…　many　



being　offered　at　the　same　time。　　In　the　meanwhile；　I　wrote　down　



from　their　dictation；　and　at　the　conclusion　I　read　aloud　the　



translation；　the　result　of　the　united　wisdom　of　the　assembly；　



whereupon　they　all　raised　a　shout　of　exultation；　and　appeared　not　a　



little　proud　of　the　composition。







The　Cordovese　Gitanos　are　celebrated　esquiladors。　　Connected　with　



them　and　the　exercise　of　the　ARTE　DE　ESQUILAR；　in　Gypsy　monrabar；　I　



have　a　curious　anecdote　to　relate。　　In　the　first　place；　however；　it　



may　not　be　amiss　to　say　something　about　the　art　itself；　of　all　



relating　to　which　it　is　possible　that　the　reader　may　be　quite　



ignorant。







Nothing　is　more　deserving　of　remark　in　Spanish　grooming　than　the　



care　exhibited　in　clipping　and　trimming　various　parts　of　the　horse；　



where　the　growth　of　hair　is　considered　as　prejudicial　to　the　



perfect　health　and　cleanliness　of　the　animal；　particular　attention　



being　always　paid　to　the　pastern；　that　part　of　the　foot　which　lies　



between　the　fetlock　and　the　hoof；　to　guard　against　the　arestin　…　



that　cutaneous　disorder　which　is　the　dread　of　the　Spanish　groom；　on　



which　account　the　services　of　a　skilful　esquilador　are　continually　



in　requisition。







The　esquilador；　when　proceeding　to　the　exercise　of　his　vocation；　



generally　carries　under　his　arm　a　small　box　containing　the　



instruments　necessary；　and　which　consist　principally　of　various　



pairs　of　scissors；　and　the　ACIAL；　two　short　sticks　tied　together　



with　whipcord　at　the　end；　by　means　of　which　the　lower　lip　of　the　



horse；　should　he　prove　restive；　is　twisted；　and　the　animal　reduced　



to　speedy　subjection。　　In　the　girdle　of　the　esquilador　are　stuck　



the　large　scissors　called　in　Spanish　TIJERAS；　and　in　the　Gypsy　



tongue　CACHAS；　with　which　he　principally　works。　　He　operates　upon　



the　backs；　ears；　and　tails　of　mules　and　bo