272 B U K O R E S T. 
CHAP, is always the same ; rarely committing flao-rant 
II. " . o o 
^ -/ _. acts of rapine and plunder, but being every- 
where notorious for a knavish and pilfering 
disposition; insomuch that the very persons, 
who complain of their depredations, are gene- 
rally disposed to do so jocularly ; rather con- 
sidering them as knaves than villains. But the 
IValachian Gipsies are not an idle race ; they 
ought rather to be described as a laborious 
people; and the majority honestly endeavour to 
earn a livelihood. It is this part of them who 
work as gold-ivashers. They have great skill in 
finding the metal. Their implements consist 
of a board, two or three feet wide, and four or 
five feet long, with grooves cut transversely ; 
and it is edged on both sides with a wooden 
rim: woollen cloths are sometimes spread upon 
this board, which being held as an inclined 
plane, the sands of the rivers are poured, mixed 
with water, upon it : the weightier sediment 
fall into the groves, or it is retained by the 
cloth, which is afterwards washed in a water- 
cask ; and then, by a common severing-trough, 
the sand is separated from the gold\ But they 
are often skilful enough to collect auriferous 
(I) See U;c VigneUc to Chap. IV. of the Supplement. 
