penetrate those deserts and try their fortune in 

 China* 



Gypsies are called in French, Bohemians; in 

 Italian and modern Greek, Zingari. 

 Selborne, Oct. 2, 1775. 



LETTER LXVIII. 

 To THE Honourable Daines Barrington. 



•* Hie - - - - tiiedae pingues, hie plurimus ignis 



Semper, et assidua postes fuligine nigri." 



(ViRG. Eel. vii. 49, 50.) 

 " Here are fat torches, here abundant fire, 



Here constant smoke has black'd each side the door." 



I SHALL make no apology for troubling you with 

 the detail of a very simple piece of domestic econ- 

 omy, being satisfied that you think noth- 

 ing beneath your attention that tends 

 to utility : the matter alluded to is the 

 use of rushes instead of candles, 

 which I am well aware prevails 

 in many districts besides this ; 

 but as I know there are countries 

 also where it does not obtain, and as 

 I have considered the subject with 

 A rush-light. some degree of exactness, I shall pro- 



* See Bell's " Travels in China." 

 56 



