the zincali-第42章

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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　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　f