32 M. Beudant's Travels in Hungary. 



and that pass in France under the name of Bohemians. These 

 are very numerous in Hungary, but no certain accounts have 

 been given of their origin. Grellnian's Researches make it 

 appear probable that they are descendants of a cast of Indians, 

 the Farias, that were driven from their country about the year 

 1408, during the conquest of India, by Tamerlane. Some 

 authors consider them as Egyptians, and from this notion the 

 name of Pharaoni, or Egyptians, has been assigned to them. 

 Jt is certain that they speak a particular language, that their 

 features are not European, and that their first appearance in 

 Europe was at the beginning of the fifteenth century ; about 

 1417, we find them first noticed in the history of Hungary. 

 They have ever lived a wandering life, and the means employ- 

 ed to bring them within the pale of civilization have only re- 

 claimed a small number that have settled, as husbandmen, on 

 the frontiers of Transylvania. The rest ramble about, encamp- 

 ing in the middle of woods, or near villages, in huts which 

 they speedily raise, and that are truly wretched and filthy. 

 They are indolent and vicious, and only work to procure what 

 is indispensably necessary. Some are blacksmiths, and forge 

 nails, knives, and hatchets, which the women go and sell in 

 the villages ; others tramp from town to town, playing slight 

 of hand tricks, or on some instrument to which the peasants 

 dance. They go all covered with rags, and the women espe- 

 cially are very disgusting. 



The number of these vagabonds has been very considerable ; 

 from a census ordained by the emperor Joseph, in 1783, it ap- 

 pears that they amounted to more than 40,000; but they are 

 now much diminished, either from being dispersed in the 

 neighbouring countries, or from gradually mingling with the 

 peasants and settling in different places. 



Such are the varying tribes of people confounded under the 

 name of Hungarians. The mass of population, of which this 

 assemblage consists, amounts to more than ten millions. Ac- 

 cording to M. Schwartner, the enumeration of them, in 1809, 

 might be rated as under : For Hungary, Sclavonia, and Croa- 

 tia, not including the noblesse, the clergy, regiments of the 

 line, or the military frontiers, 7*555,920 ; for the corps of 

 noblesse, 325,894; for the clergy of all religions, 15,600; for 

 the regiments of the line, 64,000; for the military districts of 

 Hungary, 777>406; for the military frontiers of Transylvania, 

 137,041 ; and for the provincial of 'Transylvania, 1,501,106. 

 Total, 10,376,967. 



This population, uniformly spread over the entire superficies, 

 as it existed previous to the treaty of Vienna, in 1809, gives a 

 mean number of 633 inhabitants to the square league, or 1790 



