the zincali-第53章

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bahi；　moreover；　is　occasionally　the　prelude　to　a　device　which　we　



shall　now　attempt　to　describe；　and　which　is　called　HOKKANO　BARO；　or　



the　great　trick；　of　which　we　have　already　said　something　in　the　



former　part　of　this　work。　　It　consists　in　persuading　some　credulous　



person　to　deposit　whatever　money　and　valuables　the　party　can　muster　



in　a　particular　spot；　under　the　promise　that　the　deposit　will　



increase　many　manifold。　　Some　of　our　readers　will　have　difficulty　



in　believing　that　any　people　can　be　found　sufficiently　credulous　to　



allow　themselves　to　be　duped　by　a　trick　of　this　description；　the　



grossness　of　the　intended　fraud　seeming　too　palpable。　　Experience；　



however；　proves　the　contrary。　　The　deception　is　frequently　



practised　at　the　present　day；　and　not　only　in　Spain　but　in　England　



…　enlightened　England　…　and　in　France　likewise；　an　instance　being　



given　in　the　memoirs　of　Vidocq；　the　late　celebrated　head　of　the　



secret　police　of　Paris；　though；　in　that　instance；　the　perpetrator　



of　the　fraud　was　not　a　Gypsy。　　The　most　subtle　method　of　



accomplishing　the　hokkano　baro　is　the　following：…







When　the　dupe　…　a　widow　we　will　suppose；　for　in　these　cases　the　



dupes　are　generally　widows　…　has　been　induced　to　consent　to　make　



the　experiment；　the　Gitana　demands　of　her　whether　she　has　in　the　



house　some　strong　chest　with　a　safe　lock。　　On　receiving　an　



affirmative　answer；　she　will　request　to　see　all　the　gold　and　silver　



of　any　description　which　she　may　chance　to　have　in　her　possession。　　



The　treasure　is　shown　her；　and　when　the　Gitana　has　carefully　



inspected　and　counted　it；　she　produces　a　white　handkerchief；　



saying；　Lady；　I　give　you　this　handkerchief；　which　is　blessed。　　



Place　in　it　your　gold　and　silver；　and　tie　it　with　three　knots。　　I　



am　going　for　three　days；　during　which　period　you　must　keep　the　



bundle　beneath　your　pillow；　permitting　no　one　to　go　near　it；　and　



observing　the　greatest　secrecy；　otherwise　the　money　will　take　wings　



and　fly　away。　　Every　morning　during　the　three　days　it　will　be　well　



to　open　the　bundle；　for　your　own　satisfaction；　to　see　that　no　



misfortune　has　befallen　your　treasure；　be　always　careful；　however；　



to　fasten　it　again　with　the　three　knots。　　On　my　return；　we　will　



place　the　bundle；　after　having　inspected　it；　in　the　chest；　which　



you　shall　yourself　lock；　retaining　the　key　in　your　possession。　　



But；　thenceforward；　for　three　weeks；　you　must　by　no　means　unlock　



the　chest；　nor　look　at　the　treasure　…　if　you　do　it　will　fly　away。　　



Only　follow　my　directions；　and　you　will　gain　much；　very　much；　



baribu。







The　Gitana　departs；　and；　during　the　three　days；　prepares　a　bundle　



as　similar　as　possible　to　the　one　which　contains　the　money　of　her　



dupe；　save　that　instead　of　gold　ounces；　dollars；　and　plate；　its　



contents　consist　of　copper　money　and　pewter　articles　of　little　or　



no　value。　　With　this　bundle　concealed　beneath　her　cloak；　she　



returns　at　the　end　of　three　days　to　her　intended　victim。　　The　



bundle　of　real　treasure　is　produced　and　inspected；　and　again　tied　



up　by　the　Gitana；　who　then　requests　the　other　to　open　the　chest；　



which　done；　she　formally　places　A　BUNDLE　in　it；　but；　in　the　



meanwhile；　she　has　contrived　to　substitute　the　fictitious　for　the　



real　one。　　The　chest　is　then　locked；　the　lady　retaining　the　key。　　



The　Gitana　promises　to　return　at　the　end　of　three　weeks；　to　open　



the　chest；　assuring　the　lady　that　if　it　be　not　unlocked　until　that　



period；　it　will　be　found　filled　with　gold　and　silver；　but　



threatening　that　in　the　event　of　her　injunctions　being　disregarded；　



the　money　deposited　will　vanish。　　She　then　walks　off　with　great　



deliberation；　bearing　away　the　spoil。　　It　is　needless　to　say　that　



she　never　returns。







There　are　other　ways　of　accomplishing　the　hokkano　baro。　　The　most　



simple；　and　indeed　the　one　most　generally　used　by　the　Gitanas；　is　



to　persuade　some　simple　individual　to　hide　a　sum　of　money　in　the　



earth；　which　they　afterwards　carry　away。　　A　case　of　this　



description　occurred　within　my　own　knowledge；　at　Madrid；　towards　



the　latter　part　of　the　year　1837。　　There　was　a　notorious　Gitana；　of　



the　name　of　Aurora；　she　was　about　forty　years　of　age；　a　Valencian　



by　birth；　and　immensely　fat。　　This　amiable　personage；　by　some　



means；　formed　the　acquaintance　of　a　wealthy　widow　lady；　and　was　not　



slow　in　attempting　to　practise　the　hokkano　baro　upon　her。　　She　



succeeded　but　too　well。　　The　widow；　at　the　instigation　of　Aurora；　



buried　one　hundred　ounces　of　gold　beneath　a　ruined　arch　in　a　field；　



at　a　short　distance　from　the　wall　of　Madrid。　　The　inhumation　was　



effected　at　night　by　the　widow　alone。　　Aurora　was；　however；　on　the　



watch；　and；　in　less　than　ten　minutes　after　the　widow　had　departed；　



possessed　herself　of　the　treasure；　perhaps　the　largest　one　ever　



acquired　by　this　kind　of　deceit。　　The　next　day　the　widow　had　



certain　misgivings；　and；　returning　to　the　spot；　found　her　money　



gone。　　About　six　months　after　this　event；　I　was　imprisoned　in　the　



Carcel　de　la　Corte；　at　Madrid；　and　there　I　found　Aurora；　who　was　in　



durance　for　defrauding　the　widow。　　She　said　that　it　had　been　her　



intention　to　depart　for　Valencia　with　the　'barias；'　as　she　styled　



her　plunder；　but　the　widow　had　discovered　the　trick　too　soon；　and　



she　had　been　arrested。　　She　added；　however；　that　she　had　contrived　



to　conceal　the　greatest　part　of　the　property；　and　that　she　expected　



her　liberation　in　a　few　days；　having　been　prodigal　of　bribes　to　the　



'justicia。'　　In　effect；　her　liberation　took　place　sooner　than　my　



own。　　Nevertheless；　she　had　little　cause　to　triumph；　as　before　she　



left　the　prison　she　had　been　fleeced　of　the　last　cuarto　of　her　ill…



gotten　gain；　by　alguazils　and　escribanos；　who；　she　admitted；　



understood　hokkano　baro　much　better　than　herself。







When　I　next　saw　Aurora；　she　informed　me　that　she　was　once　more　on　



excellent　terms　with　the　widow；　whom　she　had　persuaded　that　the　



loss　of　the　money　was　caused　by　her　own　imprudence；　in　looking　for　



it　before　the　appointed　time；　the　spirit　of　the　earth　having　



removed　it　in　anger。　　She　added　that　her　dupe　was　quite　disposed　to　



make　another　venture；　by　which　she　hoped　to　retrieve　her　former　



loss。







USTILAR　PASTESAS。　…　Under　this　head　may　be　placed　various　kinds　of　



theft　committed　by　the　Gitanos。　　The　meaning　of　the　words　is　



stealing　with　the　hands；　but　they　are　more　generally　applied　to　the　



filching　of　money　by　dexterity　of　hand；　when　giving　or　receiving　



change。　　For　example：　　a　Gitana　will　enter　a　shop；　and　purchase　



some　insignificant　article；　tendering　in　payment　a　baria　or　golden　



ounce。　　The　change　being　put　down　before　her　on　the　counter；　she　



counts　the　money；　and　complains　that　she　has　received　a　dollar　and　



several　pesetas　less　than　her　due。　　It　seems　impossible　that　there　



can　be　any　fraud　on　her　part；　as　she　has　not　even　taken　the　pieces　



in　her　hand；　but　merely　placed　her　fingers　upon　them；　pushing　them　



on　one　side。　　She　now　asks　the　merchant　what　he　means　by　attempting　



to　deceive　the　poor　woman。　　The　merchant；　supposing　that　he　has　



made　a　mistake；　takes　up　the　money；　counts　it；　and　finds　in　effect　



that　the　just　sum　is　not　there。　　He　again　hands　out　the　change；　but　



there　is　now　a　greater　deficiency　than　before；　and　the　merchant　is　



convinced　that　he　is　dealing　with　a　witch。　　The　Gitana　now　pushes　



the　money　to　him；　uplifts　her　voice；　and　talks　of　the　justicia。　　



Should　the　merchant　become　frightened；　and；　emptying　a　bag　of　



dollars；　tell　her　to　pay　herself；　as　has　sometimes　been　the　case；　



she　will　have　a　fine　opportunity　to　exercise　her　powers；　and　whilst　



taking　the　change　will　contrive　to　convey　secretly　into　her　sleeves　



five　or　six　dollars　at　least；　after　which　she　will　depart　with