the zincali-第38节

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



the　backs；　ears；　and　tails　of　mules　and　borricos；　which　are　



invariably　sheared　quite　bare；　that　if　the　animals　are　galled；　



either　by　their　harness　or　the　loads　which　they　carry；　the　wounds　



may　be　less　liable　to　fester；　and　be　more　easy　to　cure。　　Whilst　



engaged　with　horses；　he　confines　himself　to　the　feet　and　ears。　　The　



esquiladores　in　the　two　Castiles；　and　in　those　provinces　where　the　



Gitanos　do　not　abound；　are　for　the　most　part　Aragonese；　but　in　the　



others；　and　especially　in　Andalusia；　they　are　of　the　Gypsy　race。　　



The　Gitanos　are　in　general　very　expert　in　the　use　of　the　cachas；　



which　they　handle　in　a　manner　practised　nowhere　but　in　Spain；　and　



with　this　instrument　the　poorer　class　principally　obtain　their　



bread。







In　one　of　their　couplets　allusion　is　made　to　this　occupation　in　the　



following　manner：…











'I'll　rise　to…morrow　bread　to　earn；



For　hunger's　worn　me　grim；



Of　all　I　meet　I'll　ask　in　turn；



If　they've　no　beasts　to　trim。'











Sometimes；　whilst　shearing　the　foot　of　a　horse；　exceedingly　small　



scissors　are　necessary　for　the　purpose　of　removing　fine　solitary　



hairs；　for　a　Spanish　groom　will　tell　you　that　a　horse's　foot　behind　



ought　to　be　kept　as　clean　and　smooth　as　the　hand　of　a　senora：　　such　



scissors　can　only　be　procured　at　Madrid。　　My　sending　two　pair　of　



this　kind　to　a　Cordovese　Gypsy；　from　whom　I　had　experienced　much　



attention　whilst　in　that　city；　was　the　occasion　of　my　receiving　a　



singular　epistle　from　another　whom　I　scarcely　knew；　and　which　I　



shall　insert　as　being　an　original　Gypsy　composition；　and　in　some　



points　not　a　little　characteristic　of　the　people　of　whom　I　am　now　



writing。











'Cordova；　20th　day　of　January；　1837。



'SENOR　DON　JORGE；







'After　saluting　you　and　hoping　that　you　are　well；　I　proceed　to　tell　



you　that　the　two　pair　of　scissors　arrived　at　this　town　of　Cordova　



with　him　whom　you　sent　them　by；　but；　unfortunately；　they　were　given　



to　another　Gypsy；　whom　you　neither　knew　nor　spoke　to　nor　saw　in　



your　life；　for　it　chanced　that　he　who　brought　them　was　a　friend　of　



mine；　and　he　told　me　that　he　had　brought　two　pair　of　scissors　which　



an　Englishman　had　given　him　for　the　Gypsies；　whereupon　I；　



understanding　it　was　yourself；　instantly　said　to　him；　〃Those　



scissors　are　for　me〃；　he　told　me；　however；　that　he　had　already　



given　them　to　another；　and　he　is　a　Gypsy　who　was　not　even　in　



Cordova　during　the　time　you　were。　　Nevertheless；　Don　Jorge；　I　am　



very　grateful　for　your　thus　remembering　me；　although　I　did　not　



receive　your　present；　and　in　order　that　you　may　know　who　I　am；　my　



name　is　Antonio　Salazar；　a　man　pitted　with　the　small…pox；　and　the　



very　first　who　spoke　to　you　in　Cordova　in　the　posada　where　you　



were；　and　you　told　me　to　come　and　see　you　next　day　at　eleven；　and　I　



went；　and　we　conversed　together　alone。　　Therefore　I　should　wish　you　



to　do　me　the　favour　to　send　me　scissors　for　trimming　beasts；　…　good　



scissors；　mind　you；　…　such　would　be　a　very　great　favour；　and　I　



should　be　ever　grateful；　for　here　in　Cordova　there　are　none；　or　if　



there　be；　they　are　good　for　nothing。　　Senor　Don　Jorge；　you　remember　



I　told　you　that　I　was　an　esquilador　by　trade；　and　only　by　that　I　



got　bread　for　my　babes。　　Senor　Don　Jorge；　if　you　do　send　me　the　



scissors　for　trimming；　pray　write　and　direct　to　the　alley　De　la　



Londiga；　No。　28；　to　Antonio　Salazar；　in　Cordova。　　This　is　what　I　



have　to　tell　you；　and　do　you　ever　command　your　trusty　servant；　who　



kisses　your　hand　and　is　eager　to　serve　you。







'ANTONIO　SALAZAR。'







FIRST　COUPLET







'That　I　may　clip　and　trim　the　beasts；　a　pair　of　cachas　grant；



If　not；　I　fear　my　luckless　babes　will　perish　all　of　want。'







SECOND　COUPLET







'If　thou　a　pair　of　cachas　grant；　that　I　my　babes　may　feed；



I'll　pray　to　the　Almighty　God；　that　thee　he　ever　speed。'











It　is　by　no　means　my　intention　to　describe　the　exact　state　and　



condition　of　the　Gitanos　in　every　town　and　province　where　they　are　



to　be　found；　perhaps；　indeed；　it　will　be　considered　that　I　have　



already　been　more　circumstantial　and　particular　than　the　case　



required。　　The　other　districts　which　they　inhabit　are　principally　



those　of　Catalonia；　Murcia；　and　Valencia；　and　they　are　likewise　to　



be　met　with　in　the　Basque　provinces；　where　they　are　called　



Egipcioac；　or　Egyptians。　　What　I　next　purpose　to　occupy　myself　with　



are　some　general　observations　on　the　habits；　and　the　physical　and　



moral　state　of　the　Gitanos　throughout　Spain；　and　of　the　position　



which　they　hold　in　society。















CHAPTER　III















ALREADY；　from　the　two　preceding　chapters；　it　will　have　been　



perceived　that　the　condition　of　the　Gitanos　in　Spain　has　been　



subjected　of　late　to　considerable　modification。　　The　words　of　the　



Gypsy　of　Badajoz　are　indeed；　in　some　respects；　true；　they　are　no　



longer　the　people　that　they　were；　the　roads　and　'despoblados'　have　



ceased　to　be　infested　by　them；　and　the　traveller　is　no　longer　



exposed　to　much　danger　on　their　account；　they　at　present　confine　



themselves；　for　the　most　part；　to　towns　and　villages；　and　if　they　



occasionally　wander　abroad；　it　is　no　longer　in　armed　bands；　



formidable　for　their　numbers；　and　carrying　terror　and　devastation　



in　all　directions；　bivouacking　near　solitary　villages；　and　



devouring　the　substance　of　the　unfortunate　inhabitants；　or　



occasionally　threatening　even　large　towns；　as　in　the　singular　case　



of　Logrono；　mentioned　by　Francisco　de　Cordova。　　As　the　reader　will　



probably　wish　to　know　the　cause　of　this　change　in　the　lives　and　



habits　of　these　people；　we　shall；　as　briefly　as　possible；　afford　as　



much　information　on　the　subject　as　the　amount　of　our　knowledge　will　



permit。







One　fact　has　always　struck　us　with　particular　force　in　the　history　



of　these　people；　namely；　that　Gitanismo　…　which　means　Gypsy　



villainy　of　every　description　…　flourished　and　knew　nothing　of　



decay　so　long　as　the　laws　recommended　and　enjoined　measures　the　



most　harsh　and　severe　for　the　suppression　of　the　Gypsy　sect；　the　



palmy　days　of　Gitanismo　were　those　in　which　the　caste　was　



proscribed；　and　its　members；　in　the　event　of　renouncing　their　Gypsy　



habits；　had　nothing　farther　to　expect　than　the　occupation　of　



tilling　the　earth；　a　dull　hopeless　toil；　then　it　was　that　the　



Gitanos　paid　tribute　to　the　inferior　ministers　of　justice；　and　were　



engaged　in　illicit　connection　with　those　of　higher　station；　and　by　



such　means　baffled　the　law；　whose　vengeance　rarely　fell　upon　their　



heads；　and　then　it　was　that　they　bid　it　open　defiance；　retiring　to　



the　deserts　and　mountains；　and　living　in　wild　independence　by　



rapine　and　shedding　of　blood；　for　as　the　law　then　stood　they　would　



lose　all　by　resigning　their　Gitanismo；　whereas　by　clinging　to　it　



they　lived　either　in　the　independence　so　dear　to　them；　or　beneath　



the　protection　of　their　confederates。　　It　would　appear　that　in　



proportion　as　the　law　was　harsh　and　severe；　so　was　the　Gitano　bold　



and　secure。　　The　fiercest　of　these　laws　was　the　one　of　Philip　the　



Fifth；　passed　in　the　year　1745；　which　commands　that　the　refractory　



Gitanos　be　hunted　down　with　fire　and　sword；　that　it　was　quite　



inefficient　is　satisfactorily　proved　by　its　being　twice　reiterated；　



once　in　the　year　'46；　and　again　in　'49；　which　would　scarcely　have　



been　deemed　necessary　had　it　quelled　the　Gitanos。　　This　law；　with　



some　unimportant　modifications；　continued　in　force　till　the　year　



'83；　when　the　famous　edict　of　Carlos　Tercero　superseded　it。　　Will　



any　feel　disposed　to　doubt　that　the　preceding　laws　had　served　to　



foster　what　they　were　intended　to　suppress；　when　we　state　the　



remarkable　fact；　that　since　the　enactment　of　that　law；　as　humane　as　



the　others　were　unjust；　WE　HAVE　HEARD　NOTHING　MORE　OF　THE　GITANOS　



FROM　OFFICIAL　QUARTERS；　THEY　HAVE　CEASED　TO　PLAY　A　DISTINCT　PART　IN　



THE　HISTORY　OF　SPAIN；　AND　THE　LAW　NO　LONGER　SPEAKS　OF　THEM　AS　A　



DISTINCT　PEOPLE？　　The　caste　of　the　Gitano　still　exists；　but　it　is　



neither　so　extensive　nor　so　formidable　as　a　century　ago；　when　the　



law　in　denouncing　Gitanismo　proposed　to　the　Gitanos　the　



alternatives　of　death　for　persisting　in　their　profession；　or　



slavery　for　abandoning　it。







There　are　fierce　and　discontented　spirits　amongst　them；　who　regret　



such　times；　and　say　that　Gypsy　law　is　now　no　more；　that　the　Gypsy　



no　longer　assists　his　brother；　and　that　union　has　ceased　among　



them。　　If　this　be　true；　can　better　proof　be　adduced　of　the　



beneficial　working　of　the　later　law？　　A　blessing　has　been　conferred　



on　society；　and　in　a　manner　highly　creditable　to　the　spirit　of　



modern　times；　re