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第19章

the zincali-第19章

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glance; that the Romas are in most points an anomalous people; in 



their morality there is much of anomaly; and certainly not less in 



their cuisine。







'Los Gitanos son muy malos; llevan ninos hurtados a Berberia。  The 



Gypsies are very bad people; they steal children and carry them to 



Barbary; where they sell them to the Moors' … so said the Spaniards 



in old times。  There can be little doubt that even before the fall 



of the kingdom of Granada; which occurred in the year 1492; the 



Gitanos had intercourse with the Moors of Spain。  Andalusia; which 



has ever been the province where the Gitano race has most abounded 



since its arrival; was; until the edict of Philip the Third; which 



banished more than a million of Moriscos from Spain; principally 



peopled by Moors; who differed from the Spaniards both in language 



and religion。  By living even as wanderers amongst these people; 



the Gitanos naturally became acquainted with their tongue; and with 



many of their customs; which of course much facilitated any 



connection which they might subsequently form with the 



Barbaresques。  Between the Moors of Barbary and the Spaniards a 



deadly and continued war raged for centuries; both before and after 



the expulsion of the Moriscos from Spain。  The Gitanos; who cared 



probably as little for one nation as the other; and who have no 



sympathy and affection beyond the pale of their own sect; doubtless 



sided with either as their interest dictated; officiating as spies 



for both parties and betraying both。







It is likely enough that they frequently passed over to Barbary 



with stolen children of both sexes; whom they sold to the Moors; 



who traffic in slaves; whether white or black; even at the present 



day; and perhaps this kidnapping trade gave occasion to other 



relations。  As they were perfectly acquainted; from their wandering 



life; with the shores of the Spanish Mediterranean; they must have 



been of considerable assistance to the Barbary pirates in their 



marauding trips to the Spanish coasts; both as guides and advisers; 



and as it was a far easier matter; and afforded a better prospect 



of gain; to plunder the Spaniards than the Moors; a people almost 



as wild as themselves; they were; on that account; and that only; 



more Moors than Christians; and ever willing to assist the former 



in their forays on the latter。







Quinones observes:  'The Moors; with whom they hold correspondence; 



let them go and come without any let or obstacle:  an instance of 



this was seen in the year 1627; when two galleys from Spain were 



carrying assistance to Marmora; which was then besieged by the 



Moors。  These galleys struck on a shoal; when the Moors seized all 



the people on board; making captives of the Christians and setting 



at liberty all the Moors; who were chained to the oar; as for the 



Gypsy galley…slaves whom they found amongst these last; they did 



not make them slaves; but received them as people friendly to them; 



and at their devotion; which matter was public and notorious。'







Of the Moors and the Gitanos we shall have occasion to say 



something in the following chapter。















CHAPTER VI















THERE is no portion of the world so little known as Africa in 



general; and perhaps of all Africa there is no corner with which 



Europeans are so little acquainted as Barbary; which nevertheless 



is only separated from the continent of Europe by a narrow strait 



of four leagues across。







China itself has; for upwards of a century; ceased to be a land of 



mystery to the civilised portion of the world; the enterprising 



children of Loyola having wandered about it in every direction 



making converts to their doctrine and discipline; whilst the 



Russians possess better maps of its vast regions than of their own 



country; and lately; owing to the persevering labour and searching 



eye of my friend Hyacinth; Archimandrite of Saint John Nefsky; are 



acquainted with the number of its military force to a man; and also 



with the names and places of residence of its civil servants。  Yet 



who possesses a map of Fez and Morocco; or would venture to form a 



conjecture as to how many fiery horsemen Abderrahman; the mulatto 



emperor; could lead to the field; were his sandy dominions 



threatened by the Nazarene?  Yet Fez is scarcely two hundred 



leagues distant from Madrid; whilst Maraks; the other great city of 



the Moors; and which also has given its name to an empire; is 



scarcely farther removed from Paris; the capital of civilisation:  



in a word; we scarcely know anything of Barbary; the scanty 



information which we possess being confined to a few towns on the 



sea…coast; the zeal of the Jesuit himself being insufficient to 



induce him to confront the perils of the interior; in the hopeless 



endeavour of making one single proselyte from amongst the wildest 



fanatics of the creed of the Prophet Camel…driver。







Are wanderers of the Gypsy race to be found in Barbary?  This is a 



question which I have frequently asked myself。  Several respectable 



authors have; I believe; asserted the fact; amongst whom Adelung; 



who; speaking of the Gypsies; says:  'Four hundred years have 



passed away since they departed from their native land。  During 



this time; they have spread themselves through the whole of Western 



Asia; Europe; and Northern Africa。' (22)  But it is one thing to 



make an assertion; and another to produce the grounds for making 



it。  I believe it would require a far greater stock of information 



than has hitherto been possessed by any one who has written on the 



subject of the Gypsies; to justify him in asserting positively that 



after traversing the west of Europe; they spread themselves over 



Northern Africa; though true it is that to those who take a 



superficial view of the matter; nothing appears easier and more 



natural than to come to such a conclusion。







Tarifa; they will say; the most western part of Spain; is opposite 



to Tangier; in Africa; a narrow sea only running between; less wide 



than many rivers。  Bands; therefore; of these wanderers; of course; 



on reaching Tarifa; passed over into Africa; even as thousands 



crossed the channel from France to England。  They have at all times 



shown themselves extravagantly fond of a roving life。  What land is 



better adapted for such a life than Africa and its wilds?  What 



land; therefore; more likely to entice them?







All this is very plausible。  It was easy enough for the Gitanos to 



pass over to Tangier and Tetuan from the Spanish towns of Tarifa 



and Algeziras。  In the last chapter I have stated my belief of the 



fact; and that moreover they formed certain connections with the 



Moors of the coast; to whom it is likely that they occasionally 



sold children stolen in Spain; yet such connection would by no 



means have opened them a passage into the interior of Barbary; 



which is inhabited by wild and fierce people; in comparison with 



whom the Moors of the coast; bad as they always have been; are 



gentle and civilised。







To penetrate into Africa; the Gitanos would have been compelled to 



pass through the tribes who speak the Shilha language; and who are 



the descendants of the ancient Numidians。  These tribes are the 



most untamable and warlike of mankind; and at the same time the 



most suspicious; and those who entertain the greatest aversion to 



foreigners。  They are dreaded by the Moors themselves; and have 



always remained; to a certain degree; independent of the emperors 



of Morocco。  They are the most terrible of robbers and murderers; 



and entertain far more reluctance to spill water than the blood of 



their fellow…creatures:  the Bedouins; also; of the A

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