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the zincali-第41部分

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present century it was said to amount to sixty thousand。  There can 



be no doubt that the sect is by no means so numerous as it was at 



former periods; witness those barrios in various towns still 



denominated Gitanerias; but from whence the Gitanos have 



disappeared even like the Moors from the Morerias。  Whether this 



diminution in number has been the result of a partial change of 



habits; of pestilence or sickness; of war or famine; or of all 



these causes combined; we have no means of determining; and shall 



abstain from offering conjectures on the subject。















CHAPTER IV















IN the autumn of the year 1839; I landed at Tarifa; from the coast 



of Barbary。  I arrived in a small felouk laden with hides for 



Cadiz; to which place I was myself going。  We stopped at Tarifa in 



order to perform quarantine; which; however; turned out a mere 



farce; as we were all permitted to come on shore; the master of the 



felouk having bribed the port captain with a few fowls。  We formed 



a motley group。  A rich Moor and his son; a child; with their 



Jewish servant Yusouf; and myself with my own man Hayim Ben Attar; 



a Jew。  After passing through the gate; the Moors and their 



domestics were conducted by the master to the house of one of his 



acquaintance; where he intended they should lodge; whilst a sailor 



was despatched with myself and Hayim to the only inn which the 



place afforded。  I stopped in the street to speak to a person whom 



I had known at Seville。  Before we had concluded our discourse; 



Hayim; who had walked forward; returned; saying that the quarters 



were good; and that we were in high luck; for that he knew the 



people of the inn were Jews。  'Jews;' said I; 'here in Tarifa; and 



keeping an inn; I should be glad to see them。'  So I left my 



acquaintance; and hastened to the house。  We first entered a 



stable; of which the ground floor of the building consisted; and 



ascending a flight of stairs entered a very large room; and from 



thence passed into a kitchen; in which were several people。  One of 



these was a stout; athletic; burly fellow of about fifty; dressed 



in a buff jerkin; and dark cloth pantaloons。  His hair was black as 



a coal and exceedingly bushy; his face much marked from some 



disorder; and his skin as dark as that of a toad。  A very tall 



woman stood by the dresser; much resembling him in feature; with 



the same hair and complexion; but with more intelligence in her 



eyes than the man; who looked heavy and dogged。  A dark woman; whom 



I subsequently discovered to be lame; sat in a corner; and two or 



three swarthy girls; from fifteen to eighteen years of age; were 



flitting about the room。  I also observed a wicked…looking boy; who 



might have been called handsome; had not one of his eyes been 



injured。  'Jews;' said I; in Moorish; to Hayim; as I glanced at 



these people and about the room; 'these are not Jews; but children 



of the Dar…bushi…fal。'







'List to the Corahai;' said the tall woman; in broken Gypsy slang; 



'hear how they jabber (hunelad como chamulian); truly we will make 



them pay for the noise they raise in the house。'  Then coming up to 



me; she demanded with a shout; fearing otherwise that I should not 



understand; whether I would not wish to see the room where I was to 



sleep。  I nodded:  whereupon she led me out upon a back terrace; 



and opening the door of a small room; of which there were three; 



asked me if it would suit。  'Perfectly;' said I; and returned with 



her to the kitchen。







'O; what a handsome face! what a royal person!' exclaimed the whole 



family as I returned; in Spanish; but in the whining; canting tones 



peculiar to the Gypsies; when they are bent on victimising。  'A 



more ugly Busno it has never been our chance to see;' said the same 



voices in the next breath; speaking in the jargon of the tribe。  



'Won't your Moorish Royalty please to eat something?' said the tall 



hag。  'We have nothing in the house; but I will run out and buy a 



fowl; which I hope may prove a royal peacock to nourish and 



strengthen you。'  'I hope it may turn to drow in your entrails;' 



she muttered to the rest in Gypsy。  She then ran down; and in a 



minute returned with an old hen; which; on my arrival; I had 



observed below in the stable。  'See this beautiful fowl;' said she; 



'I have been running over all Tarifa to procure it for your 



kingship; trouble enough I have had to obtain it; and dear enough 



it has cost me。  I will now cut its throat。'  'Before you kill it;' 



said I; 'I should wish to know what you paid for it; that there may 



be no dispute about it in the account。'  'Two dollars I paid for 



it; most valorous and handsome sir; two dollars it cost me; out of 



my own quisobi … out of my own little purse。'  I saw it was high 



time to put an end to these zalamerias; and therefore exclaimed in 



Gitano; 'You mean two brujis (reals); O mother of all the witches; 



and that is twelve cuartos more than it is worth。'  'Ay Dios mio; 



whom have we here?' exclaimed the females。  'One;' I replied; 'who 



knows you well and all your ways。  Speak! am I to have the hen for 



two reals? if not; I shall leave the house this moment。'  'O yes; 



to be sure; brother; and for nothing if you wish it;' said the tall 



woman; in natural and quite altered tones; 'but why did you enter 



the house speaking in Corahai like a Bengui?  We thought you a 



Busno; but we now see that you are of our religion; pray sit down 



and tell us where you have been。' 。 。







MYSELF。 … 'Now; my good people; since I have answered your 



questions; it is but right that you should answer some of mine; 



pray who are you? and how happens it that you are keeping this 



inn?'







GYPSY HAG。 … 'Verily; brother; we can scarcely tell you who we are。  



All we know of ourselves is; that we keep this inn; to our trouble 



and sorrow; and that our parents kept it before us; we were all 



born in this house; where I suppose we shall die。'







MYSELF。 … 'Who is the master of the house; and whose are these 



children?'







GYPSY HAG。 … 'The master of the house is the fool; my brother; who 



stands before you without saying a word; to him belong these 



children; and the cripple in the chair is his wife; and my cousin。  



He has also two sons who are grown…up men; one is a chumajarri 



(shoemaker); and the other serves a tanner。'







MYSELF。 … 'Is it not contrary to the law of the Cales to follow 



such trades?'







GYPSY HAG。 … 'We know of no law; and little of the Cales 



themselves。  Ours is the only Calo family in Tarifa; and we never 



left it in our lives; except occasionally to go on the smuggling 



lay to Gibraltar。  True it is that the Cales; when they visit 



Tarifa; put up at our house; sometimes to our cost。  There was one 



Rafael; son of the rich Fruto of Cordova; here last summer; to buy 



up horses; and he departed a baria and a half in our debt; however; 



I do not grudge it him; for he is a handsome and clever Chabo … a 



fellow of many capacities。  There was more than one Busno had cause 



to rue his coming to Tarifa。'







MYSELF。 … 'Do you live on good terms with the Busne of Tarifa?'







GYPSY HAG。 … 'Brother; we live on the best terms with the Busne of 



Tarifa; especially with the errays。  The first people in Tarifa 



come to this house; to have their baji told by the cripple in the 



chair and by myself。  I know not how it is; but we are more 



considered by the grandees than the poor; who hate and loathe us。  



When my first and only infant died; for I have been married; the 



child of one of the principal people was put to me to nurse; but I 



hated it for its white blood; as you may well believe。  It never 



throve; for I did it a private mischief; and though it grew up and 



is now a youth; it is … mad。'







MYSELF。 … 'With whom will your brother's children marry?  You say 



there are no Gypsies here。'







GYPSY HAG。 … 'Ay de mi; hermano!  It is that which grieves me。  I 



would rather see them sold to the Moors than married to the Busne。  



When Rafael was here he wished to persuade the chumajarri to 



accompany him to Cordova; and promised to provide for him; and to 



find him a wife among the Callees of that town; but the faint heart 



would not; though I myself begged him to comply。  As for the 



curtidor (tanner); he goes every night to the house of a Busnee; 



and once; when I reproached him with it; he threatened to marry 



her。  I intend to take my knife; and to wait behind the door in the 



dark; and when she comes out to gash her over the eyes。  I trow he 



will have little desire to wed with her then。'







MYSELF。 … 'Do many Busne from the countr
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