THE GYPSIES 



455 



immigrants that the Hungarians descend. "An indefinable Oriental air may be noted in most 

 Magyars of good family. The fact that the structure of the Magyar language is Ugro-Finnish, 

 while it contains Mongol and Turkish words, and has in more recent times borrowed from German 

 and Slavonic, points to a good deal of mixture in the composition of this people" (Ratzel). 



Physically they are accounted one of the handsomest races in Europe. They have a 

 manly, upright carriage and an energetic air. Their frames are tall, athletic, and robust. 

 Their eyes are intensely black, the nose straight, the teeth white and regular, and the hair 

 bushy. Their women are even better-looking than the men. The Magyars have pushed 



their way into the front rank of nations by 

 their physical strength, bravery, and strong 

 patriotic sentiment, which engenders a vanity 

 bordering on self-conceit. Their hospitality 

 is proverbial, and has brought many wealthy 

 families to the verge of ruin. Trade and the 

 industries have in recent years been greatly 

 developed. 



The national dress is exceedingly pictur- 

 esque. Its principal characteristics are the 

 bunda (a long outer cloak), long boots, and 

 spurs. A Hungarian nobleman attached to 

 the Austro-Hungarian Embassy in London 

 attracted universal attention at a levee at 

 St. James's a few years ago by the magnifi- 

 cence of his attire. 



A Hungarian wedding is a remarkable 

 ceremony. The feast lasts for several days. 

 " After the wedding ceremony is ended, the 

 bridegroom's friends, headed by a band of 

 musicians, come to fetch the bride, who, thus 

 escorted, goes to her new home; here, as 

 well as during the procession to the church, 

 firearms are discharged and other noisy 

 demonstrations made by the guests, who 

 afterwards sit down to the table and prolong 

 the feast far into the night. It is the 

 custom and a curiously suggestive one it is 

 for each guest to dance in turn with the 

 bride, and then to give her a few Tcreutzers 

 (or pence), in exchange for which he receives 

 a kiss. Each guest also brings a present, 

 which consists of a fowl, a pigeon, some fruit, 

 or other articles of provender. This is duly 

 handed to the bride, who, by accepting it, binds herself to dance with the donor" (Brown). 



The dominant religion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire-or rather of the various races 

 composing it-is the Eoman Catholic. The members of this Church numbered in 1898 

 32,240,000. There are also 4,268,000 Protestants, 3,178,000 members of the Greek and 

 Armenian Churches, and 1,870,000 Jews. 



THE GYPSIES. 



BEFORE taking leave of the peoples of Central Europe, a few words may appropriately be 

 devoted to the Gypsies, who are here found in larger numbers than in any other part c 

 world, over which they wander at large. 



From the Anthropological Collection in the Museum de Paris. 

 A. PURE GYPSY, ALSACE (FULL-FACE). 



