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The Zincali-Part25_George Borrow(1803-1881)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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care exhibited in clipping and trimming various parts of the horse,

where the growth of hair is considered as prejudicial to the



perfect health and cleanliness of the animal, particular attention

being always paid to the pastern, that part of the foot which lies



between the fetlock and the hoof, to guard against the arestin -

that cutaneous disorder which is the dread of the Spanish groom, on



which account the services of a skilful esquilador are continually

in requisition.



The esquilador, when proceeding to the exercise of his vocation,

generally carries under his arm a small box containing the



instruments necessary, and which consist principally of various

pairs of scissors, and the ACIAL, two short sticks tied together



with whipcord at the end, by means of which the lower lip of the

horse, should he prove restive, is twisted, and the animal reduced



to speedy subjection. In the girdle of the esquilador are stuck

the large scissors called in Spanish TIJERAS, and in the Gypsy



tongue CACHAS, with which he principally works. He operates upon

the backs, ears, and tails of mules and borricos, which are



invariably sheared quite bare, that if the animals are galled,

either by their harness or the loads which they carry, the wounds



may be less liable to fester, and be more easy to cure. Whilst

engaged with horses, he confines himself to the feet and ears. The



esquiladores in the two Castiles, and in those provinces where the

Gitanos do not abound, are for the most part Aragonese; but in the



others, and especially in Andalusia, they are of the Gypsy race.

The Gitanos are in general very expert in the use of the cachas,



which they handle in a manner practised nowhere but in Spain; and

with this instrument the poorer class principally obtain their



bread.

In one of their couplets allusion is made to this occupation in the



following manner:-

'I'll rise to-morrow bread to earn,



For hunger's worn me grim;

Of all I meet I'll ask in turn,



If they've no beasts to trim.'

Sometimes, whilst shearing the foot of a horse, exceedingly small



scissors are necessary for the purpose of removing fine solitary

hairs; for a Spanish groom will tell you that a horse's foot behind



ought to be kept as clean and smooth as the hand of a senora: such

scissors can only be procured at Madrid. My sending two pair of



this kind to a Cordovese Gypsy, from whom I had experienced much

attention whilst in that city, was the occasion of my receiving a



singularepistle from another whom I scarcely knew, and which I

shall insert as being an original Gypsy composition, and in some



points not a little characteristic of the people of whom I am now

writing.



'Cordova, 20th day of January, 1837.

'SENOR DON JORGE,



'After saluting you and hoping that you are well, I proceed to tell

you that the two pair of scissors arrived at this town of Cordova



with him whom you sent them by; but, unfortunately, they were given

to another Gypsy, whom you neither knew nor spoke to nor saw in



your life; for it chanced that he who brought them was a friend of

mine, and he told me that he had brought two pair of scissors which



an Englishman had given him for the Gypsies; whereupon I,

understanding it was yourself, instantly said to him, "Those



scissors are for me"; he told me, however, that he had already

given them to another, and he is a Gypsy who was not even in



Cordova during the time you were. Nevertheless, Don Jorge, I am

very grateful for your thus remembering me, although I did not



receive your present, and in order that you may know who I am, my

name is Antonio Salazar, a man pitted with the small-pox, and the



very first who spoke to you in Cordova in the posada where you

were; and you told me to come and see you next day at eleven, and I






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