THE SPANISH GYPSY OF TO-DAY. 291 



without the slightest bond of sympathy with their Cas- 

 tilian neighbours, their outward signs of joy or grief — 

 both demonstrative — pass- unheard and ignored. In their 

 religion — adopted perforce of law, as before set forth, and 

 which savours of idolatry simple, with a dash of supersti- 

 tion and fanaticism — in their curious marriage and funereal 

 customs — both occasions of noisy orgy, the latter resem- 

 bling an Irish " wake " with its alternations of wailing by 

 the hour " to order," and feasting in turn — the gypsies are 

 left severely alone. There is no sympathy with them. 

 On the other hand, when civil or political disturbances 

 prevail, and southern fervour is all ablaze, the gypsy 

 barrio remains spectacular and unmoved. 



No " patriotic " dreams or soaring ambitions disturb the 

 gypsy's squalid life — what has he to gain ? What can he 

 ever hope to be, but the despised and rejected, under any 

 form of government ? No list of misguided peasantry, 

 beguiled and betrayed by base agitator, ever registers his 

 name : the midnight meetings of the " Black Hand " find 

 no gitano present at their sworn and secret conclaves. 

 The vagabond is too shrewd uselessly to embroil himself 

 in abortive efforts to upset existing order : though there is 

 little doubt what his action would be should the oppor- 

 tunity of pillage with impunity ever present itself. 



Los Bohemios. — There remain to be noticed the bands 

 of nomad gypsies who flock to Spain during the winter 

 months, but whose true home is said to be in Bohemia. 

 These are not in touch with the native tribes, speaking 

 but few words of Spanish or of its gypsy jargon. In 

 summer they infest the roads and by-ways of Austria, 

 travelling southwards, as winter advances, thus resembling 

 in habit their British congeners. Their type of feature is 

 of more Eastern caste, their faces almost black, with long 

 tangled hair, in both sexes, hanging down to the shoulders. 

 Their home is the wigwam or rickety waggon with its load 

 of rags and babies, and its mixed team of mules, donkeys, 

 and ponies. The lurcher-dog and the snare assist these 

 Zingali to fill their •pucker o. They traverse the wilds of 

 Spain in camps of thirty to fifty, squatting near village or 



u 2 



