the zincali-第20章

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their　fellow…creatures：　　the　Bedouins；　also；　of　the　Arabian　race；　



are　warlike；　suspicious；　and　cruel；　and　would　not　have　failed　



instantly　to　attack　bands　of　foreign　wanderers；　wherever　they　found　



them；　and　in　all　probability　would　have　exterminated　them。　　Now　the　



Gitanos；　such　as　they　arrived　in　Barbary；　could　not　have　defended　



themselves　against　such　enemies；　had　they　even　arrived　in　large　



divisions；　instead　of　bands　of　twenties　and　thirties；　as　is　their　



custom　to　travel。　　They　are　not　by　nature　nor　by　habit　a　warlike　



race；　and　would　have　quailed　before　the　Africans；　who；　unlike　most　



other　people；　engage　in　wars　from　what　appears　to　be　an　innate　love　



of　the　cruel　and　bloody　scenes　attendant　on　war。







It　may　be　said；　that　if　the　Gitanos　were　able　to　make　their　way　



from　the　north　of　India；　from　Multan；　for　example；　the　province　



which　the　learned　consider　to　be　the　original　dwelling…place　of　the　



race；　to　such　an　immense　distance　as　the　western　part　of　Spain；　



passing　necessarily　through　many　wild　lands　and　tribes；　why　might　



they　not　have　penetrated　into　the　heart　of　Barbary；　and　wherefore　



may　not　their　descendants　be　still　there；　following　the　same　kind　



of　life　as　the　European　Gypsies；　that　is；　wandering　about　from　



place　to　place；　and　maintaining　themselves　by　deceit　and　robbery？







But　those　who　are　acquainted　but　slightly　with　the　condition　of　



Barbary　are　aware　that　it　would　be　less　difficult　and　dangerous　for　



a　company　of　foreigners　to　proceed　from　Spain　to　Multan；　than　from　



the　nearest　seaport　in　Barbary　to　Fez；　an　insignificant　distance。　　



True　it　is；　that；　from　their　intercourse　with　the　Moors　of　Spain；　



the　Gypsies　might　have　become　acquainted　with　the　Arabic　language；　



and　might　even　have　adopted　the　Moorish　dress；　ere　entering　



Barbary；　and；　moreover；　might　have　professed　belief　in　the　religion　



of　Mahomet；　still　they　would　have　been　known　as　foreigners；　and；　on　



that　account；　would　have　been　assuredly　attacked　by　the　people　of　



the　interior；　had　they　gone　amongst　them；　who；　according　to　the　



usual　practice；　would　either　have　massacred　them　or　made　them　



slaves；　and　as　slaves；　they　would　have　been　separated。　　The　mulatto　



hue　of　their　countenances　would　probably　have　insured　them　the　



latter　fate；　as　all　blacks　and　mulattos　in　the　dominions　of　the　



Moor　are　properly　slaves；　and　can　be　bought　and　sold；　unless　by　



some　means　or　other　they　become　free；　in　which　event　their　colour　



is　no　obstacle　to　their　elevation　to　the　highest　employments　and　



dignities；　to　their　becoming　pashas　of　cities　and　provinces；　or　



even　to　their　ascending　the　throne。　　Several　emperors　of　Morocco　



have　been　mulattos。







Above　I　have　pointed　out　all　the　difficulties　and　dangers　which　



must　have　attended　the　path　of　the　Gitanos；　had　they　passed　from　



Spain　into　Barbary；　and　attempted　to　spread　themselves　over　that　



region；　as　over　Europe　and　many　parts　of　Asia。　　To　these　



observations　I　have　been　led　by　the　assertion　that　they　



accomplished　this；　and　no　proof　of　the　fact　having；　as　I　am　aware；　



ever　been　adduced；　for　who　amongst　those　who　have　made　such　a　



statement　has　seen　or　conversed　with　the　Egyptians　of　Barbary；　or　



had　sufficient　intercourse　with　them　to　justify　him　in　the　



assertion　that　they　are　one　and　the　same　people　as　those　of　Europe；　



from　whom　they　differ　about　as　much　as　the　various　tribes　which　



inhabit　various　European　countries　differ　from　each　other？　　At　the　



same　time；　I　wish　it　to　be　distinctly　understood　that　I　am　far　from　



denying　the　existence　of　Gypsies　in　various　parts　of　the　interior　



of　Barbary。　　Indeed；　I　almost　believe　the　fact；　though　the　



information　which　I　possess　is　by　no　means　of　a　description　which　



would　justify　me　in　speaking　with　full　certainty；　I　having　myself　



never　come　in　contact　with　any　sect　or　caste　of　people　amongst　the　



Moors；　who　not　only　tallied　in　their　pursuits　with　the　Rommany；　but　



who　likewise　spoke　amongst　themselves　a　dialect　of　the　language　of　



Roma；　nor　am　I　aware　that　any　individual　worthy　of　credit　has　ever　



presumed　to　say　that　he　has　been　more　fortunate　in　these　respects。







Nevertheless；　I　repeat　that　I　am　inclined　to　believe　that　Gypsies　



virtually　exist　in　Barbary；　and　my　reasons　I　shall　presently　



adduce；　but　I　will　here　observe；　that　if　these　strange　outcasts　did　



indeed　contrive　to　penetrate　into　the　heart　of　that　savage　and　



inhospitable　region；　they　could　only　have　succeeded　after　having　



become　well　acquainted　with　the　Moorish　language；　and　when；　after　a　



considerable　sojourn　on　the　coast；　they　had　raised　for　themselves　a　



name；　and　were　regarded　with　superstitious　fear；　in　a　word；　if　they　



walked　this　land　of　peril　untouched　and　unscathed；　it　was　not　that　



they　were　considered　as　harmless　and　inoffensive　people；　which；　



indeed；　would　not　have　protected　them；　and　which　assuredly　they　



were　not；　it　was　not　that　they　were　mistaken　for　wandering　Moors　



and　Bedouins；　from　whom　they　differed　in　feature　and　complexion；　



but　because；　wherever　they　went；　they　were　dreaded　as　the　



possessors　of　supernatural　powers；　and　as　mighty　sorcerers。







There　is　in　Barbary　more　than　one　sect　of　wanderers；　which；　to　the　



cursory　observer；　might　easily　appear；　and　perhaps　have　appeared；　



in　the　right　of　legitimate　Gypsies。　　For　example；　there　are　the　



Beni　Aros。　　The　proper　home　of　these　people　is　in　certain　high　



mountains　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Tetuan；　but　they　are　to　be　found　



roving　about　the　whole　kingdom　of　Fez。　　Perhaps　it　would　be　



impossible　to　find；　in　the　whole　of　Northern　Africa；　a　more　



detestable　caste。　　They　are　beggars　by　profession；　but　are　



exceedingly　addicted　to　robbery　and　murder；　they　are　notorious　



drunkards；　and　are　infamous；　even　in　Barbary；　for　their　unnatural　



lusts。　　They　are；　for　the　most　part；　well　made　and　of　comely　



features。　　I　have　occasionally　spoken　with　them；　they　are　Moors；　



and　speak　no　language　but　the　Arabic。







Then　there　is　the　sect　of　Sidi　Hamed　au　Muza；　a　very　roving　people；　



companies　of　whom　are　generally　to　be　found　in　all　the　principal　



towns　of　Barbary。　　The　men　are　expert　vaulters　and　tumblers；　and　



perform　wonderful　feats　of　address　with　swords　and　daggers；　to　the　



sound　of　wild　music；　which　the　women；　seated　on　the　ground；　produce　



from　uncouth　instruments；　by　these　means　they　obtain　a　livelihood。　　



Their　dress　is　picturesque；　scarlet　vest　and　white　drawers。　　In　



many　respects　they　not　a　little　resemble　the　Gypsies；　but　they　are　



not　an　evil　people；　and　are　looked　upon　with　much　respect　by　the　



Moors；　who　call　them　Santons。　　Their　patron　saint　is　Hamed　au　Muza；　



and　from　him　they　derive　their　name。　　Their　country　is　on　the　



confines　of　the　Sahara；　or　great　desert；　and　their　language　is　the　



Shilhah；　or　a　dialect　thereof。　　They　speak　but　little　Arabic。　　When　



I　saw　them　for　the　first　time；　I　believed　them　to　be　of　the　Gypsy　



caste；　but　was　soon　undeceived。　　A　more　wandering　race　does　not　



exist　than　the　children　of　Sidi　Hamed　au　Muza。　　They　have　even　



visited　France；　and　exhibited　their　dexterity　and　agility　at　Paris　



and　Marseilles。







I　will　now　say　a　few　words　concerning　another　sect　which　exists　in　



Barbary；　and　will　here　premise；　that　if　those　who　compose　it　are　



not　Gypsies；　such　people　are　not　to　be　found　in　North　Africa；　and　



the　assertion；　hitherto　believed；　that　they　abound　there；　is　devoid　



of　foundation。　　I　allude　to　certain　men　and　women；　generally　termed　



by　the　Moors　'Those　of　the　Dar…bushi…fal；'　which　word　is　equivalent　



to　prophesying　or　fortune…telling。　　They　are　great　wanderers；　but　



have　also　their　fixed　dwellings　or　villages；　and　such　a　place　is　



called　'Char　Seharra；'　or　witch…hamlet。　　Their　manner　of　life；　in